Renewable Energy: Fundamentals and Job Opportunities (Coursera)

Offered by University at Buffalo,
Renewable Energy: Fundamentals and Job Opportunities (Coursera)

This course prepares you to recognize the complexities and nuances of different renewable energy solutions, as well as relevant career opportunities (both technical occupations and roles not typically associated with clean energy). Learners are immersed in discussions about green energy technologies, the impact of sustainability on society, energy consumption in the United States and conservation. Topics include: tenets of green building design and construction, solar energy conversion through photovoltaic cells, wind turbine site selection and design, and nanotechnology applications in clean energy.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

It references educational opportunities from the State University of New York (SUNY) system that correlate with each clean energy market segment.
The course is suitable for anyone interested in entering the renewable energy field, whether fresh to the workforce or switching industries. Material encompasses online lectures, videos, demos, readings and discussions. Learners will create a career roadmap, whereby they define a job that interests them, conduct a gap assessment to determine additional education/training/skills they need, and document a pathway to their ideal renewable energy career.
What You Will Learn

  • Develop foundational understanding of clean energy market segments (sustainability, green building, solar, wind, and nanotechnology)
  • Explain the fundamental principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability
  • Identify renewable energy career opportunities and corresponding educational pathways

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome!
Clean Energy 101
This module provides a foundation for the course, covering energy consumption and conservation, the importance of renewable energy, and pathways to careers in renewable energy.

WEEK 2
Sustainability
Learners will gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of sustainability, why sustainability matters, and career opportunities in the field.

WEEK 3
Green Building
Learners will develop an understanding of the value of green buildings, fundamental green building principles, and common rating systems.

WEEK 4
Solar Energy
Learners will consider the benefits and limitations of solar energy, and gain an understanding of solar energy careers and educational opportunities.

WEEK 5
Wind Energy
Learners will review the history of wind energy, consider wind as a fluid, explore turbine design and siting, and gain an understanding of wind power careers and educational pathways.

WEEK 6
Nanotechnology for Renewable Energy
Learners will be introduced to nanotechnology and its applications in renewable energy. Careers and educational pathways will also be explored.

WEEK 7
Final Project: Exploring Pathways to Renewable Energy Careers
Using the resources provided throughout the course, you will hone in on a renewable energy career of interest. By assessing your current background and reviewing the requirements for the desired position, you will conduct a gap analysis and be able to describe the education and training needed to enter your ideal renewable energy career. This culminating project leaves learners with a roadmap to a renewable energy career.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Ash-Related Operational Challenges in Energy Utilization of Sustainable Fuels (Coursera) Coursera
Technical University of Denmark - DTU

Ash-Related Operational Challenges in Energy Utilization of Sustainable Fuels (Coursera)

The basic idea behind this MOOC, is to present recent data on fuel characterization, slagging, fouling, corrosion, and trace element transformations, in a course that can be readily provided for students and industry people. This ensures understanding and application of the research, and provides the students and industry with a forum for discussion of the very latest research results, as well as feedback from industry to the research group at DTU, on important new research subjects in the field.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to solar cells (Coursera) Coursera
Technical University of Denmark - DTU

Introduction to solar cells (Coursera)

How do solar cells work, why do we need, and how can we measure their efficiency? These are just some of the questions Introduction to solar cells tackles. Whether you are looking for general insight in this green technology or your ambition is to pursue a career in solar, “Introduction to Solar Cells” is an excellent starting point. The course is a tour through the fundamental disciplines including solar cell history, why we need solar energy, how solar cells produce power, and how they work. During the course we cover mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells, thin film solar cells, and new emerging technologies.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Supply Chain Management for E-commerce (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Supply Chain Management for E-commerce (Coursera)

Immerse yourself in the dynamic realm of e-commerce supply chains with our course, "Supply Chain Management for E-commerce." Designed for emerging entrepreneurs, small business owners, and career switchers, this immersive journey equips learners with comprehensive insights. From foundational supply chain components to the strategic integration of technology and sustainability, participants will gain practical knowledge to navigate challenges and optimize operations in the e-commerce realm.

Nov 23rd 2026
1 Week
Oceanography: a key to better understand our world (Coursera) Coursera
University of Barcelona,Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing - FNOB

Oceanography: a key to better understand our world (Coursera)

The course for a round the world regatta leads the boats through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, Southern Indian and South Pacific Oceans. On their voyage, the skippers come across a large variety of oceanographic situations: strong currents, floating ice, wave formations of every kind and biological diversity. In this course the student will learn about the foundations of the science of oceanography. You'll learn about the classification and formation of the ocean floor, how current sea satellite analysis systems work, the chemistry of the oceans and the processes that led to its formation.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Energy, Environment, and Everyday Life (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Energy, Environment, and Everyday Life (Coursera)

This course teaches you everything you need to know about energy, the environment, and at least a number of things in everyday life. It starts by talking about energy itself and where it comes from. This includes how much we have, who has it, who uses it, and what that all means. The video clips are produced in a fast-paced multimedia format during which Professor Ruzic throws in fun and demonstrations. There are multiple-choice questions to check your understanding and some more in-depth exercises to guide you deeper into the subject.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Sustentabilidad y Economías Sociales (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de Chile

Sustentabilidad y Economías Sociales (Coursera)

En los últimos años el fenómeno del Emprendimiento con Sentido, la Innovación Social y la relevancia de la Sustentabilidad dan cuenta de la imperiosa necesidad de modernizar los esquemas de gestión de empresas y adaptarlos a una realidad cambiante, modificando paradigmas hacia las nuevas economías enfocadas en un desarrollo sustentable.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Net-Zero Building Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
Indian Institute for Human Settlements

Net-Zero Building Fundamentals (Coursera)

Interested in decarbonisation, high performance, and climate resilient buildings? Then this course is for you. Our future is low-carbon, net-zero buildings that are super-efficient and self-sufficient in terms of their energy and water use. Decarbonisation, digitisation, and deglobalisation are driving the infrastructure revolution over the next 20 years. This course, offered jointly by the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) and the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), will enable you to reap the benefits of this revolution and work on climate change.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Hydro, Wind & Solar power: Resources, Variability & Forecast (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Hydro, Wind & Solar power: Resources, Variability & Forecast (Coursera)

The development of hydro, wind and solar power is growing strongly with as one objective to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All these renewable energies are intermittent with more or less strong variability. This course provides the basis for estimating the resource of these different modes of production and understanding the physical causes of intermittency and seasonal variability. The different modes of electricity production are detailed as well as the sensitivity induced by meteorological variations.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Outsmarting intermittency (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Outsmarting intermittency (Coursera)

Solar and wind offer clean and renewable ways to produce large amounts of electricity. They have boomed over the last few years, evolving from an eco-daydream to a major market and showing unprecedented growth rates. Yet, installing solar panels and wind turbines is by no means the end of the story. The electrical grid, which connects production means to the end-users’ sockets, is not a simple electron pipe. It is the beating heart of our electricity system and ensures its stability. Solar and wind raise specific challenges for the grid, and these challenges will have to be tackled if we want to deploy larger amounts of renewable sources.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Villes africaines: Environnement et enjeux de développement durable (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Villes africaines: Environnement et enjeux de développement durable (Coursera)

Le cours propose une lecture de l’environnement urbain en Afrique à travers les thématiques les plus pertinentes pour mesurer le niveau de développement d’un pays : eau et vie urbaine, assainissement (eaux usées et pluviales), gestion des déchets solides, agriculture urbaine. Après avoir analysé les différents enjeux de celles-ci, nous aborderons les liens entre environnement urbain et santé.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Chicago

Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change (Coursera)

This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Intended for an audience without much scientific background but a healthy sense of curiosity, the class brings together insights and perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, and even some economics—all based on a foundation of simple mathematics (algebra).

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks