Occupation

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

Human Advantage 67%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.1 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

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.

Also Known As: Applications Engineer, Consulting Engineer, Engineer, Photovoltaic System Designer (PV System Designer), Power Systems Engineer, Project Engineer, Renewable Energy Specialist, Research Engineer +22 more

Video

Core Tasks

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

Supplemental Tasks (2)

  1. Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.
  2. Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.

Education & Training

Job Zone 4 Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Bachelor's Degree
56%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
11%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
11%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
7%
Some College Courses
7%
Less than a High School Diploma
4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.
4%
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Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk Revit
  • Bash
  • C++
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
  • Google Workspace software
  • JavaScript
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
  • Microsoft Word
  • Python
  • R
  • Salesforce software
  • Structured query language SQL
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro

Software (57)

  • Ansys Fluent
  • Aurora HelioScope
  • Autodesk AutoCAD LT
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Data acquisition software
  • Data visualization software
  • Database software
  • Debugging software
  • ETAP
  • Energy-10
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • Global positioning system GPS software
  • HOMER Micropower Optimization Model
  • IMSI TurboCAD
  • National Instruments Compact FieldPoint System
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Optical Physics Technologies SUN_CHART
  • Oracle Hyperion
  • PV Optics
  • PVsyst
  • Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS)
  • RETScreen
  • Regional Energy Deployment System ReEDS
  • SKM Systems Analysis Power Tools
  • SOLAR-2
  • Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine SMARTS
  • Simulation software
  • Software development tools
  • SolTrace
  • Solar Advisor Model
  • Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment SWERA
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Tools & Equipment (106)

  • Abrasion testers
  • Accelerated weathering machines
  • Adhesion testers
  • Apparent power meters
  • Atomic absorption spectrometers
  • Auger electron spectrometers
  • Bench ovens
  • Chronopotentiometers
  • Compression testers
  • Copy machines
  • Coulometers
  • Creep testers
  • Current versus voltage IV curve tracers
  • Data loggers
  • Differential scanning calorimeters
  • Digital imaging microscopes
  • Digital pattern generators
  • Digital resistance thermometers
  • Direct current DC power supplies
  • Electrometers
  • Electron beam evaporators
  • Electron energy loss spectrometers
  • Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometers EDS
  • Environmental chambers
  • Fatigue testers
  • Field emission scanning electron microscopes FESEM
  • Film extruders
  • Flexure testers
  • Flow coulometric detectors
  • Fluorescence spectrophotometers
  • Focused ion beam FIB systems
  • Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectrometers
  • Goniometers or arthrometers
  • Graphics tablets
  • Hand calculators
  • Hardness testers
  • High-precision balances
  • Hipot testers
  • Humidity ovens
  • Impact testers
  • Inductance capacitance resistance LCR meters
  • Inert atmosphere glove boxes
  • Infrared cameras
  • Ion beam assisted deposition IBAD systems
  • Ion mills
  • Irradiance detectors
  • Laboratory tube furnaces
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Laser printers
  • Lasers
  • Lifetime testers
  • Liquid chromatographs LC
  • Load frames
  • Mask aligners
  • Mass spectrometers
  • Mechanical shakers
  • Meggers
  • Micromanipulators
  • Moisture analyzers
  • Optical compound microscopes
  • Optical scanners
  • Permeation testers
  • Personal computers
  • Phase angle meters
  • Photoluminescence spectrometers
  • Photovoltaic array simulators
  • Picoammeters
  • Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition PECVD systems
  • Plotters
  • Polarographic analyzers
  • Potentiostats
  • Power quality meters
  • Pull testers
  • Pyranometers
  • Raman spectrometers
  • Reactive power meters
  • Recording ammeters
  • Reflectance spectrometers
  • Rheometers
  • Scanning electron microscopes SEM
  • Scanning probe microscopes SPM
  • Shear testers
  • Solar simulators
  • Spectrocolorimeters
  • Spectrophotometers
  • Spectroscopic ellipsometers
  • Spin coaters
  • Sputtering systems
  • Strain gauges
  • Surface profilometers
  • Tensile testers
  • Thermal cyclers
  • Thermocouples
  • Thermogravimetric analyzers
  • Thermopiles
  • Transmission electron microscopes TEM
  • Ultrasonic cleaners
  • Ultraviolet UV exposure units
  • Vacuum evaporators
  • Vacuum laminators
  • Vacuum ovens
  • Video cameras
  • Voltmeters
  • X ray diffractometers
  • X-ray photoelectron spectrometers
  • pH meters

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Resource Extraction Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 1
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 76% match
Zone 2
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters 78% match
Zone 3
Solar Energy Installation Managers 95% match
Zone 4
Solar Energy Systems Engineers You are here
Zone 5
Hydrologists 79% match

Utilities Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 1
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners 73% match
Zone 2
Power Plant Operators 78% match
Zone 3
Solar Energy Installation Managers 95% match
Zone 4
Solar Energy Systems Engineers You are here
Zone 5
Architectural and Engineering Managers 78% match

Engineering Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Non-Destructive Testing Specialists 80% match
Zone 3
Electrical and Electronics Drafters 81% match
Zone 4
Solar Energy Systems Engineers You are here
Zone 5
Microsystems Engineers 81% match

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