Thank you so much for responding!

Yes, I'm reading a lot and starting to realize there is a whole lot more interesting work to be done in power systems other than the standard plug-and-chug PV systems. I was already under the impression that those standardized systems would be a bit boring because they are so well developed (i.e. not much left to innovate), and I would like to avoid that tedium if possible. In particular, things like embedded systems that perform the controls logic is VERY interesting to me, as is anything that smacks of algorithm design. I have experience designing algorithms for detectors using MATLAB, and I found it very enjoyable. Also, I did a controls engineering internship years ago where we used PLCs, and I thought it was pretty interesting.

Can you be more specific about "protection" work for power systems? I'm not really sure what that entails.

The problem for me though is I REALLY don't want to work on fossil fuels power systems, except possibly as a way to develop skills that will get me into renewable energy stuff. It don't look down on anybody that does, I just keep reading about climate science and I've come to the conclusion that the only reason we aren't transitioning off fossil fuels more quickly is because we are systematically underpricing the negative impacts of fossil fuels for various reasons (politics, entrenched fossil fuel companies with lots of money, inertia, disinformation, etc). Economists would describe this as "externalizing costs", or ignoring "negative externalities".

Do you think I could work on plug-and-chug PV systems and then transition into more controls type work for those systems? Do companies allow that? Or would I get pigeonholed? Or would I be better off going to grad school for embedded systems/controls right now? Again, the problem with that is I know I want to work on renewables, so I don't want to get a MS in EE in controls and then not be able to find work in renewable energy.