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Career · Machines, transport and industry

Renewable energy engineer

Designs and evaluates energy systems that use sunlight, wind and other renewable sources.

What a day looks like

Imagine an engineer comparing solar power system options for a business. This example describes design work, rather than instructions for connecting equipment. In the morning, you check the inputs: hourly energy demand, available space and the reliability of solar radiation data. A sunny photograph is not enough to estimate future generation. You compare seasonal patterns in a spreadsheet and note missing information.

Next, you work with a model, entering equipment specifications, panel orientation and losses. The computer estimates generation, but the answer depends on assumptions. You therefore test several scenarios, including less favourable weather. With a colleague, you compare the times when energy is produced and consumed. If those times differ, additional solutions and costs need evaluation; you cannot simply promise complete independence from the grid. After lunch, you check component specifications and prepare questions for electrical and operations specialists.

On a different day, the engineer might monitor an operating system, investigate lower output, compare measurements with calculations or check documentation. Today, you write a report comparing two project options. It explains the inputs, expected results, limits and safety questions. Your manager asks why the cheapest option is not necessarily the best. Before leaving, you refine the calculations and save the model version. The work combines physics, data, economics and responsibility for technical decisions. A verifiable explanation matters more than an attractive picture of solar panels.

Try it yourself this week

  • 30 minutes

    Draw a sketch of a shelf bracket with measurements

    1. Find a shelf or stand at home and look at what holds it up. Don't unscrew anything.
    2. On squared paper, draw a side view and a top view of a bracket that could hold a shelf like this.
    3. Mark the measurements with arrows. To get them, measure the real shelf with a tape measure.
    4. Think it over and write down: which part takes the most load, and how would you make it stronger?

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you find it interesting to be precise and to think about strength in advance.

  • 30 minutes

    Ask a science question and check the answer in two sources

    1. Choose a question about chemistry, biology, physics or space that really interests you, for example: why does a vaccine protect you if you haven't had the disease yet?
    2. Write down your guess — what you think now, before you search.
    3. Find the answer in two different sources: a textbook, a popular science website, an encyclopedia. Write down where they agree and where they differ.
    4. Note which source you trust more and why, and how the answer differs from your guess.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like digging down to the real explanation and comparing sources — or the first answer you find is enough for you.

What you can do next

  1. Next 3 months

    • Understand energy units

      With a teacher, compare power in watts and energy in watt-hours. Solve three paper problems and check the answer units.

    • Check a claim about energy

      Complete t21: choose a question about sunlight or wind, compare two reliable sources and identify information specific to a place or season.

  2. In six months

    • Plot illustrative data

      Use imaginary hourly generation and demand data in a spreadsheet. Find periods of shortage and surplus; do not take electrical measurements or open distribution boards.

    • Compare two illustrative projects

      For the same learning task, compare two sets of imaginary specifications. Record assumptions, losses and reasons for your choice without buying equipment.

    • Draw a system diagram

      On paper, show the source, conversion, consumption and possible storage. This is a functional diagram, not an electrical installation drawing.

  3. In a year

    • Prepare a report with limitations

      Bring together your graphs and scenario comparison. Explain what cannot be known without measurements; do not promise payback or grid independence.

    • Compare two education programmes

      With a parent or school adviser, explore university programmes. Ask about mathematics, modelling and laboratory classes supervised by teachers.

What it pays

No verified information is available in this section yet.

Where to study

Universities

You apply after grade 11, based on your UNT results.

How to get into college

College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.

  • Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
    Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
    Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
    Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university

The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.

  • The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
    Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)

Courses and opportunities

Opportunities near this field

  • Programme
    enbek.kz job portal (opens in a new tab)

    Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК

    Who it's for: anyone looking for a job or an internship.

    When: all year round.

    The government job vacancy portal. It has a section for students and young specialists called «Жастарға» (For young people).

    Checked: September 2026

    Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Programmeup to age 35
    Youth internship programme (opens in a new tab)

    Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК

    Who it's for: college and university graduates (not for school students).

    When: ongoing, up to 12 months.

    A paid internship for graduates (under the terms on enbek.kz, at least 30 MCI (monthly calculation index) per month). The rules have changed before, so check them on the day you apply.

    Checked: September 2026

    Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Programmeup to age 35
    First job programme (opens in a new tab)

    Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК

    Who it's for: young specialists (not for school students).

    When: subsidy for up to 18 months.

    The state helps pay a young specialist's salary for up to 18 months. Check the conditions on enbek.kz.

    Checked: September 2026

    Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Programmefree
    Atlas of New Professions (opens in a new tab)

    Минтруда РК и Центр развития трудовых ресурсов

    Who it's for: everyone.

    When: reference guide, always available.

    Atlas of New Professions: which jobs will appear, change or disappear in the next 5–10 years. Free to read.

    Checked: September 2026

    Source: atlasbt.enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
Can you work before you turn 18?

Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.

History of the career

In 1954, a Bell Laboratories team developed a practical silicon solar cell. NREL's historical account explains how Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson combined knowledge of materials and electricity to obtain useful power from light. This was an important photovoltaic development, rather than a complete design for a large power station.

Solar cells were later used in space technology and on the ground. The history shows how solar power grew through sustained cooperation between researchers and engineers. Today's engineer works beyond the individual cell, coordinating equipment, demand, site conditions and checks on how the complete system performs.

Source: docs.nrel.gov (opens in a new tab)

Well-known people in this field

Article sources

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