Description
Conduct site-specific engineering analyses for solar and energy-efficiency projects in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. Design and optimize photovoltaic and solar thermal systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural loads, local climate, codes, solar technologies, and thermodynamics.
- • Test and evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells, modules, and arrays.
- • Review specifications and recommend design or manufacturing changes to meet performance and cost targets.
- • Perform thermal, structural, electrical, and cost analyses for solar systems.
- • Develop standard operating procedures and quality and safety standards for solar installations.
- • Design and specify solar thermal collectors (e.g., evacuated tube) and balance-of-system components.
- • Provide technical direction to field teams during installation, start-up, testing, commissioning, and performance monitoring.
- • Model PV system energy production and losses to optimize efficiency using simulation tools.
- • Develop design specifications, functional requirements, and bills of materials for residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems.
- • Plan system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities, including performance KPIs.
- • Produce electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, and connection diagrams using CAD software.
- • Create inspection and commissioning checklists for completed solar projects.
- • Design or coordinate PV and solar thermal systems, including component selection and layout, for buildings.
- • Conduct engineering site audits to gather structural, electrical, shading, and environmental data for system design.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
