Jobs in onshore wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy and tidal power, from installers and technicians to engineers, developers and asset managers.
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This sector covers renewable generation outside offshore wind: onshore wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy and tidal power. Projects are spread across Great Britain, but some regions have clear clusters of work. Scotland has most of the UK's onshore wind and hydro, while large solar farms are concentrated in southern and eastern England where land and grid capacity allow.
In the north of Scotland, wind farm and hydro operators employ technicians and engineers across Inverness and the Highlands. Developers, utilities and consultancies have offices in Glasgow and Scotland's capital, where many planning, grid connection and asset management roles are based. Across England and Wales, solar and onshore wind developers employ regional teams, and much of the construction work is site based.
Onshore wind farms need construction managers, civil engineers, high voltage engineers and wind turbine technicians. ScottishPower's Whitelee wind farm, south of Glasgow, is one of the best known. As older wind farms reach the end of their design life, repowering with newer turbines creates more work for engineers and contractors.
Ground-mounted solar farms employ electrical design engineers, project managers, installers who build mounting structures and run DC cabling, commissioning engineers, and operations technicians who look after inverters and site security. Commercial and domestic rooftop solar relies on electricians and surveyors, and is often installed alongside batteries, which links closely to battery storage and EV charging.
Scotland's hydro schemes, some of them decades old, need mechanical and electrical maintenance teams, civil engineers who look after dams, tunnels and pipelines, and control engineers. Pumped storage, such as Cruachan in Argyll, adds specialist roles in turbines, generators and large civil structures.
Biomass power stations such as Drax near Selby, anaerobic digestion plants and energy-from-waste facilities run around the clock. They hire process operators, shift engineers, mechanical and electrical technicians, chemists, environmental officers and fuel logistics staff.
Marine energy is smaller but distinctive. The MeyGen tidal stream project in the Pentland Firth and the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney have built up skills in subsea engineering, marine operations and research that are in demand elsewhere in the sector.
Requirements vary by role. This table shows what employers commonly ask for:
| Role | Commonly requested |
|---|---|
| Wind turbine technician | GWO Basic Safety Training, a Level 3 electrical or mechanical qualification, a wind turbine medical |
| Solar or electrical installer | Level 3 electrical qualification, a current BS 7671 wiring regulations certificate, ECS card |
| High voltage engineer | HNC, HND or degree, and authorisation under the employer's safety rules |
| Plant or process operator | Engineering or process apprenticeship, shift experience on an industrial site |
| Project or site manager | CSCS card, SMSTS or NEBOSH, a recognised project management qualification |
Developers also hire planning, environmental, land and grid specialists, who usually need a degree and relevant experience rather than site tickets.
Apprenticeships are a common starting point. In England, electrical, engineering technician and wind turbine apprenticeships lead into installation and maintenance roles. In Scotland, Modern Apprenticeships in engineering and electrical trades do the same.
Graduate schemes at utilities, developers and consultancies take people from engineering, environmental science, geography, planning and finance. Career changers often come from construction, building services, agriculture or manufacturing, bringing practical and site skills. Service leavers with electrical, mechanical or logistics experience tend to move into technician, site and project roles.
If you are new to the sector, a short course in health and safety or a CSCS card can make you easier to place on construction sites while you build experience.
Use the job search to find renewable energy roles by keyword, location, sector and salary, and filter for permanent, contract or temporary work. You can also narrow results to on-site, hybrid or remote roles, which helps if you want an office-based development job rather than site work.
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It changes with investment and location. Onshore wind and hydro are strong in Scotland, while solar construction is busier in southern and eastern England. Many skills, such as electrical installation and high voltage work, transfer between technologies, so you are not locked into one.
No. Technician, installer and operator roles usually ask for an apprenticeship or Level 3 qualification plus relevant tickets. Design, planning and development roles are more likely to ask for a degree, though experience can sometimes substitute.
Yes. Qualified electricians are in demand for solar farms, rooftop solar and onshore wind. For wind turbine work you will usually also need GWO training, and for high voltage roles your employer will train and authorise you under its own safety rules.
Site work is often rural, because wind farms, hydro schemes and solar farms need land. Development, engineering design, finance and asset management roles are more often in city offices, with some hybrid or remote working.
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