Solar Energy Systems Engineers - 17-2199.11

Perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics.

Sample of reported job titles: Consulting Engineer, Distributed Energy Systems Consultant, Energy Systems Laboratory Director, Engineering Vice President, Field Engineer, Power Systems Engineer, Renewable Energy Division Manager, Research Engineer, Solar Engineer

Tasks

• Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
• Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
• Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
• Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
• Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
• Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.
• Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.
• Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
• Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.
• Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
• Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.
• Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.

Technology Skills

• Analytical or scientific software - Simulation software; SOLAR-2; SolTrace; The MathWorks MATLAB (see all 18 examples)
• Computer aided design CAD software - Autodesk AutoCAD ; Autodesk AutoCAD LT; Dassault Systemes SolidWorks ; TurboCAD IMSI
• Data base user interface and query software - Microsoft Access
• Development environment software - National Instruments LabVIEW
• Electronic mail software - Microsoft Outlook
• Mobile location based services software - Global positioning system GPS software
• Office suite software - Microsoft Office
• Presentation software - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Project management software - Microsoft Project
• Spreadsheet software - Microsoft Excel
• Word processing software - Microsoft Word

Tools Used

• Abrasion testers
• Ageing ovens - Accelerated weathering machines; Solar simulators
• Ammeters - Picoammeters; Recording ammeters
• Analytical balances - High-precision balances
• Atomic absorption AA spectrometers - Atomic absorption spectrometers
• Binocular light compound microscopes - Optical compound microscopes
• Brushless motor DC - Direct current DC power supplies
• Calorimeters - Differential scanning calorimeters
• Capacitance meters - Inductance capacitance resistance LCR meters
• Colorimeters - Spectrocolorimeters
• Compression testers
• Coulometers - Flow coulometric detectors
• Creep testers
• Electrical frequency meters - Phase angle meters
• Electrometers
• Extruders - Film extruders
• Fatigue testers
• Fish tape - Pull testers
• Flexure or transverse testing machines - Flexure testers
• Frequency calibrator or simulator - Photovoltaic array simulators
• Goniometers
• Graphic recorders - Current versus voltage IV curve tracers
• Graphics tablets
• Hand held camcorders or video cameras - Video cameras
• Hardness testers
• Hipot testers
• Impact testers
• Infrared dryers - Ultraviolet UV exposure units
• Infrared imagers - Infrared cameras
• Infrared spectrometers - Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectrometers
• Isolation glove boxes - Inert atmosphere glove boxes
• Laboratory evaporators - Electron beam evaporators; Vacuum evaporators
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens - Bench ovens; Humidity ovens
• Laminators - Vacuum laminators
• Laser fax machine - Laser facsimile machines
• Laser printers
• Lasers
• Liquid chromatographs - Liquid chromatographs LC
• Load frame - Load frames
• Mass spectrometers
• Megohmmeters - Meggers
• Metal testing instruments - Adhesion testers
• Moisture meters - Moisture analyzers
• Multi gas monitors - Permeation testers
• Optical character recognition systems - Optical scanners
• Orbital shakers - Mechanical shakers
• Personal computers
• pH meters
• Photocopiers - Copy machines
• Plotter printers - Plotters
• Pocket calculator - Hand calculators
• Polarimeters - Polarographic analyzers
• Portable data input terminals - Data loggers
• Potentiometers - Chronopotentiometers; Potentiostats
• Power meters - Apparent power meters; Power quality meters; Reactive power meters
• Refrigerated and heated reach in environmental or growth chambers - Environmental chambers
• Resistance thermometers - Digital resistance thermometers
• Rheometers
• Roughness measuring instruments - Surface profilometers
• Scanning electron microscopes - Field emission scanning electron microscopes FESEM; Scanning electron microscopes SEM
• Scanning probe microscopes - Scanning probe microscopes SPM
• Semiconductor process systems - Focused ion beam FIB systems; Ion beam assisted deposition IBAD systems; Ion mills; Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition PECVD systems (see all 8 examples)
• Semiconductor testers - Lifetime testers
• Shear strength testers - Shear testers
• Signal generators - Digital pattern generators
• Solar radiation surface observing apparatus - Irradiance detectors; Pyranometers
• Spectrometers - Auger electron spectrometers; Electron energy loss spectrometers; Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometers EDS; X-ray photoelectron spectrometers (see all 7 examples)
• Spectrophotometers - Fluorescence spectrophotometers
• Strain gauges
• Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers - Thermal cyclers
• Tension testers - Tensile testers
• Thermo gravimetry analyzers - Thermogravimetric analyzers
• Thermocouples - Thermopiles
• Thickness measuring devices - Spectroscopic ellipsometers
• Transmission electron microscopes - Transmission electron microscopes TEM
• Tube furnaces - Laboratory tube furnaces
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment - Ultrasonic cleaners
• Vacuum ovens
• Videoscopes - Digital imaging microscopes
• Voltage or current meters - Voltmeters
• X ray diffraction equipment - X ray diffractometers

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Interests

• Interest code: RI
  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  • Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Context

• Electronic Mail - 86% responded “Every day.”
• Telephone - 82% responded “Every day.”
• Face-to-Face Discussions - 59% responded “Every day.”
• Work With Work Group or Team - 41% responded “Very important.”
• Freedom to Make Decisions - 59% responded “Some freedom.”
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - 36% responded “Very important.”
• Contact With Others - 38% responded “Contact with others about half the time.”
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - 55% responded “Every day.”
• Structured versus Unstructured Work - 41% responded “Limited freedom.”
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - 45% responded “Important results.”
• Time Pressure - 45% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
• Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - 52% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
• Frequency of Decision Making - 27% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - 27% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Letters and Memos - 41% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Spend Time Sitting - 50% responded “More than half the time.”
• Level of Competition - 64% responded “Moderately competitive.”
• Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - 32% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”
• Coordinate or Lead Others - 57% responded “Important.”
• Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - 33% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
• Duration of Typical Work Week - 59% responded “40 hours.”
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - 38% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - 36% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Deal With External Customers - 41% responded “Important.”
• Physical Proximity - 41% responded “Slightly close (e.g., shared office).”

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
73%	Bachelor's degree
9%	Post-baccalaureate certificate
5%	Less than high school diploma

Work Styles

• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Work Values

• Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
• Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
• Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Wages & Trends

• Median wages (2017)
  • $46.75 hourly, $97,250 annual
• Employment (2016)
  • 133,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026)
  • Average (5% to 9%)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026)
  • 9,500