Solar Energy Systems Engineers
Power Systems Engineer,
Project Engineer,
Solar Design Engineer,
Solar Designer
What they do: 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.
- DemandHigh
- state Avg. Salary $$$$$$127,350Download Career Flyer
What do they typically do on the job?
- Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
- Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
- Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
Personality
Interests
Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.
Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz
Knowledge
People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.
Engineering and Technology
Product and service development
Design
Math and Science
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Physics
Business
Management
Arts and Humanities
English language
Abilities
Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.
Verbal
Communicate by writing
Read and understand what is written
Ideas and Logic
Notice when problems happen
Use rules to solve problems
Math
Choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Skills
People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.
Basic Skills
Reading work related information
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it
Work Values
Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.
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.
Does this sound like something you'd like to do?
1. Do some research
- Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
- Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
- Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
- Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
- Connect with a career advisor or mentor
- Visit Idaho Launch
- Search for available Solar Energy Systems Engineers jobs on Idaho Works
Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop