Application Guide

How to Apply for Development Intern (Community Solar)

at One Energy Renewables

🏢 About One Energy Renewables

OneEnergy Renewables stands out as a public benefit corporation with a mission to make clean energy the #1 electricity source, developing innovative solar projects across community, distributed, and utility-scale segments. Their multidisciplinary team and diverse project pipeline across multiple US locations offer unique exposure to the full spectrum of solar development, making it an ideal place for those passionate about driving tangible change in renewable energy.

About This Role

As a Development Intern in Community Solar, you'll help navigate dynamic energy markets, grid interconnection rules, and land permitting requirements by managing multiple development efforts with competing deadlines. This role is impactful because you'll collaborate across engineering, delivery, accounting, finance, and legal teams to advance solar and battery storage projects in evolving regulatory environments, directly contributing to OneEnergy's clean energy deployment.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve researching local permitting requirements for a community solar site, analyzing grid interconnection data in Excel, attending cross-functional meetings with engineering and legal teams, and updating project tracking in Salesforce. You'd balance multiple development efforts while learning how solar projects navigate regulatory uncertainties in different markets.

🎯 Who One Energy Renewables Is Looking For

  • A student pursuing a degree in real estate, sustainability, renewable energy, policy, or communications with coursework or projects related to energy markets or land use
  • Someone who demonstrates strong organizational skills through examples like managing academic projects with overlapping deadlines or coordinating campus initiatives
  • A candidate with proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel for data analysis) and ideally exposure to Salesforce or other CRM platforms
  • An individual with a genuine interest in renewable energy shown through extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or previous internships in sustainability or energy sectors

📝 Tips for Applying to One Energy Renewables

1

Highlight any experience with land permitting, grid interconnection research, or energy policy in your resume, even if from academic projects

2

Mention specific OneEnergy projects you've researched (like their community solar initiatives in Maryland, Colorado, or Wisconsin) to show genuine interest

3

Emphasize your ability to manage competing priorities by providing concrete examples of handling multiple deadlines in past roles or coursework

4

If you have Salesforce experience, detail how you've used it for tracking projects or data management, as this is explicitly mentioned as a plus

5

Tailor your application to one of the three office locations (Bethesda, Boulder, or Madison) and show awareness of local solar policies or energy markets in that region

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your specific interest in community solar development and how it aligns with OneEnergy's mission as a public benefit corporation", 'Examples of your organizational skills in managing multiple projects or research efforts with competing deadlines', 'Any relevant coursework or experience in real estate, energy policy, or sustainability that prepares you for navigating permitting and interconnection challenges', "Why you're drawn to OneEnergy's multidisciplinary approach and how you've collaborated across different functional areas in past experiences"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • OneEnergy's specific community solar projects in Maryland, Colorado, or Wisconsin and the regulatory environments in those states
  • The company's status as a public benefit corporation and how that influences their project development approach
  • Recent news about OneEnergy's project pipeline across their three business segments (community solar, distributed generation, utility-scale)
  • Key challenges in community solar development, particularly regarding land permitting and grid interconnection in dynamic energy markets

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How you would research and analyze evolving grid interconnection rules for a community solar project in one of their target states
2 Describe a time you managed multiple projects with competing deadlines and how you prioritized tasks
3 What you know about community solar models and how they differ from utility-scale or residential solar
4 How you would collaborate with engineering and legal teams to address land permitting challenges for a solar development
5 Your understanding of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and their role in community solar projects
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application that doesn't mention community solar specifically or OneEnergy's multidisciplinary approach
  • Failing to demonstrate understanding of the role's focus on navigating unknown or changing regulations in energy markets
  • Not providing concrete examples of organizational skills or experience managing multiple priorities with competing deadlines

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to One Energy Renewables!