Solar Energy Consultant Internships
Solar energy consultant internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience across client site assessments and energy modeling work, mentorship from working solar energy consultants, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Legence, CMTA Consulting Engineers, and Tesla among the employers posting roles now.
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This position is expected to start January 2027 and continue through the entire Winter/Spring term (i.e through April/May 2027) or into Summer 2027 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
Within solar hardware engineering, the electrical and optical team designs the core PV cells and modules transforming energy in Tesla’s solar products. As we advance next-generation cell architectures and metallization processes, rapid reliability testing is critical to ensure long-term field performance at high manufacturing throughput.
The intern within the Electrical Design team will develop and validate accelerated cell-level screening methodologies to drastically shorten feedback loops from months to days. By simulating real-world environmental stress and material interactions—specifically encapsulant hydrolysis, acid-driven grid-line corrosion, and contact degradation— you will leverage device physics and high-precision characterization to isolate local series resistance increases, de-risk new cell designs, and directly inform material selection for full-scale PV module manufacturing.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Support the development and calibration of accelerated chemical stress tests (e.g., bare-cell liquid immersion under controlled temperatures and concentrations) to simulate long-term field degradation
- Perform pre- and post-stress electrical and optical characterization using tools such as Dark IV, Suns-Voc, EL/PL imaging, and cross-sectional analysis
- Assist in analyzing characterization data to track spatial degradation patterns, series resistance increases, and grid-line corrosion
- Benchmark experimental test results against industry literature to aid in building a "paste & encapsulant compatibility index"
- Document experimental procedures, summarize lab findings, and share results with cross-functional engineering teams to help inform material selection decisions
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
Hands-on laboratory experience with PV characterization techniques (Dark IV, Suns-Voc, Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence imaging, cross-sectional imaging)
- Experience with experimental design (DOE), chemical safety protocols, and accelerated stress/reliability testing
- Strong background in solar cell physics and degradation mechanisms
- Data analysis skills (preferably Python or MATLAB) for data analysis, electrical parameter extraction and image processing
- Excellent communication skills to document screening standards and present findings to engineering teams
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start January 2027 and continue through the entire Winter/Spring term (i.e through April/May 2027) or into Summer 2027 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
Within solar hardware engineering, the electrical and optical team designs the core PV cells and modules transforming energy in Tesla’s solar products. As we advance next-generation cell architectures and metallization processes, rapid reliability testing is critical to ensure long-term field performance at high manufacturing throughput.
The intern within the Electrical Design team will develop and validate accelerated cell-level screening methodologies to drastically shorten feedback loops from months to days. By simulating real-world environmental stress and material interactions—specifically encapsulant hydrolysis, acid-driven grid-line corrosion, and contact degradation— you will leverage device physics and high-precision characterization to isolate local series resistance increases, de-risk new cell designs, and directly inform material selection for full-scale PV module manufacturing.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Support the development and calibration of accelerated chemical stress tests (e.g., bare-cell liquid immersion under controlled temperatures and concentrations) to simulate long-term field degradation
- Perform pre- and post-stress electrical and optical characterization using tools such as Dark IV, Suns-Voc, EL/PL imaging, and cross-sectional analysis
- Assist in analyzing characterization data to track spatial degradation patterns, series resistance increases, and grid-line corrosion
- Benchmark experimental test results against industry literature to aid in building a "paste & encapsulant compatibility index"
- Document experimental procedures, summarize lab findings, and share results with cross-functional engineering teams to help inform material selection decisions
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
Hands-on laboratory experience with PV characterization techniques (Dark IV, Suns-Voc, Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence imaging, cross-sectional imaging)
- Experience with experimental design (DOE), chemical safety protocols, and accelerated stress/reliability testing
- Strong background in solar cell physics and degradation mechanisms
- Data analysis skills (preferably Python or MATLAB) for data analysis, electrical parameter extraction and image processing
- Excellent communication skills to document screening standards and present findings to engineering teams
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Solar Energy Consultant Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Solar Energy Consultant Internship Search
Apply months before the start date
Large employers recruit summer solar energy consultant interns the preceding fall, often closing applications before winter break. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates. Check listings in September and October for summer cohorts, and revisit throughout the year for programs on different timelines.
Build a portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for solar energy consultant interns expect limited work history and weigh project evidence instead. Document two or three completed projects, naming the tools used, such as PVsyst, AutoCAD, or energy modeling software, and link to the output where possible. A site feasibility study, solar load calculation, or system design file gives recruiters something concrete to assess.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured solar energy consultant programs tied to your university, and recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person. Professors and career center staff frequently know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to smaller companies running their own cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach.
Practice the technical screen out loud before applying
Solar energy consultant intern interviews typically include a technical or analytical component, covering energy system sizing, load calculations, or financial modeling for solar projects. Practice solving these problems aloud and explaining your reasoning step by step, since interviewers weigh how you think through a problem as much as the final answer you reach.
Solar Energy Consultant Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a solar energy consultant internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For solar energy consultant candidates, the concrete artifact that gives recruiters something to assess is a portfolio showing energy system designs, solar load calculations, or site feasibility analyses with the tools used. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a solar energy consultant internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For solar energy consultant interns, what actually drives it is performance on real client or project work, available headcount on the team at the time of your return-offer conversation, and whether you express interest early. Position for one by delivering quality work without counting on the outcome.
When should I apply for solar energy consultant internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers recruit summer interns the preceding fall, so applications open months before the start date. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, which means openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly, rather than only in spring, keeps you from missing cohorts that fill quietly.
Are solar energy consultant internships paid?
Most professional solar energy consultant internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry segment, and location, and listings show it where the employer chooses to disclose it. Unpaid arrangements exist but are uncommon at established firms, and reviewing the listing before applying is the fastest way to confirm.
What should a solar energy consultant internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects showing the tools used, the problem addressed, and where to see the work, such as a linked energy model, a published site analysis, or a CAD or design portfolio. Add relevant coursework in renewable energy systems, thermodynamics, or electrical engineering. Keep the whole document to one page.
Can international students get solar energy consultant internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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