We have the driest desert in the world with significant levels of solar radiation, which is favorable for the development of renewable energy. Our optimal conditions could even make us one of the most efficient and competitive producers of green hydrogen, the fuel of the future.
The Atacama Desert, the driest in the world, is characteristic of Chile and spans approximately 105,000 km² (40,501 square miles). If you travel to the north of Chile, you can see how we are creating a better future for the planet: different regions have become true natural laboratories for renewable energy research and innovation in wind and photovoltaic projects due to wind and solar radiation potential. This makes Chile a very attractive country for specialists in the field and for those who wish to learn in situ about clean energies and caring for the planet.
According to Climatescope 2020 by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Chile is ranked first among the most attractive countries for investing in renewable energy out of 108 emerging countries and 29 developed countries.
Chile has more than a dozen wind farms and a similar number of photovoltaic plants and is currently developing some of the largest projects in the world: the solar plant projects Cielos de Tarapacá and Copiapó Solar. Coquimbo is home to the Punta Palmeras wind farm, and in the Atacama Desert, the largest solar heating plant in Latin America is in its final stages of construction: Cerro Dominador. Chile has recently begun to develop its tremendous potential in green hydrogen, which could make us one of the most efficient and competitive producers of this fuel in the world.
Over the past few years, academic opportunities at Chilean universities and technical-vocational institutes in areas related to renewable energy have increased significantly and cover a broad area, allowing students to participate in all processes involved with this specialty. Technical degrees are of vital importance in the energy industry and there is a high demand for professionals in the field.
In Chile, we already have 9 degrees or specializations in the field:
- Duoc UC offers a Renewable Energies Technician degree which trains students to install, maintain, inspect and design small- and medium-scale projects in solar photovoltaics, solar heating and wind energy in the productive activities of different industrial sectors.
- Those who graduate from the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria from the program University Technician in Renewable Energies obtain similar skills. It offers skills training for enterprise development and the use of instruments, tools and software for monitoring and measuring systems that generate renewable energies. This university also offers a Master's in Energy Economics.
- San Sebastian University offers the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Technician degree program, an intermediate certification of the academic degree in Energy and Environmental Sustainability Engineering, based on a curriculum of renewable energies and environmental and energy efficiency.
- St. Thomas Professional Institute offers the Solar Energy Technician degree in its Engineering area. This curriculum responds to the needs of the energy sector, facilitating the employability of its students.
- University of Santiago de Chile has a Certificate Program in Energy Efficiency in Climate Control Systems, which involves the different stages of a professional project focused on the climate control and the coordination with other specialties related to the project.
- In northern Chile, the University of La Serena offers a specialization through its Master's in Energy and Environmental Sustainability, which provides scientific and technological know-how and specialized training for research in the area. It also invites students to go one step further with its PhD in Energy, Water and the Environment.
- In southern Chile, the southernmost region of the world, the University of Magallanes offers a Master's in Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency. The program provides comprehensive theoretical and practical training in all aspects related to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.
More on academic opportunities in Chile: learnchile.cl