Energy engineer to energy systems engineer
An energy engineer already meets 63% of what the energy systems engineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
53.4/ 100
1 How much of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do is already part of an energy engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the energy systems engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An energy systems engineer role treats 26 of its required skills as things an energy engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- carry out energy management of facilities
- combined heat and power generation
- determine appropriate heating and cooling system
- electrical power safety regulations
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 49 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An energy systems engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an energy engineer background worth leading with.
- already held design a building management system communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held design solar energy systems communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held heat transfer processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held identify fitted source for heat pumps management skills
- already held perform a feasibility study on biogas energy information skills
- already held design a domotic system in buildings communication, collaboration and creativity
All 49 carried skills, including the 26 the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 43 missing skills fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn design electric power systems required
- still to learn promote innovative infrastructure design required
- still to learn advise on heating systems energy efficiency required
- still to learn draw blueprints required
- still to learn troubleshoot required
- optional, not held design district heating and cooling energy systems optional
- optional, not held design passive energy measures optional
- still to learn identify energy needs required
- still to learn perform scientific research required
- optional, not held define energy profiles optional
- optional, not held inspect facility sites optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study for building management systems optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held perform energy simulations optional
- optional, not held perform smart grid feasibility study optional
- optional, not held analyse big data optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- still to learn adapt energy distribution schedules required
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
- optional, not held data mining optional
- optional, not held data storage optional
- optional, not held information extraction optional
- optional, not held information structure optional
- optional, not held unstructured data optional
- optional, not held data analytics optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held photovoltaic systems optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held power engineering optional
- optional, not held use specific data analysis software optional
- optional, not held perform data mining optional
- optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
- optional, not held utilise machine learning optional
- optional, not held create CAD drawings optional
6 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an energy systems engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adapt energy distribution schedules practise this
- 02 design electric power systems practise this
- 03 identify energy needs practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 49 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held carry out energy management of facilities skill
- already held combined heat and power generation knowledge
- already held determine appropriate heating and cooling system skill
- already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
- already held electricity consumption knowledge
- already held energy knowledge
- already held energy conservation knowledge
- already held energy market knowledge
- already held energy micro-generation technologies knowledge
- already held energy performance of buildings knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held environmental engineering knowledge
- already held examine engineering principles skill
- already held geothermal energy knowledge
- already held inspect building systems skill
- already held manage engineering project skill
- already held perform risk analysis skill
- already held promote sustainable energy skill
- already held renewable energy knowledge
- already held solar energy knowledge
- already held state estimation knowledge
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held analyse energy consumption skill
- already held biogas energy knowledge
- already held building automation knowledge
- already held conduct engineering site audits skill
- already held design a building management system skill
- already held design a domotic system in buildings skill
- already held design heat pump installations skill
- already held design solar energy systems skill
- already held district heating and cooling knowledge
- already held geothermal energy systems knowledge
- already held heat transfer processes knowledge
- already held identify fitted source for heat pumps skill
- already held industrial heating systems knowledge
- already held instruct on energy saving technologies skill
- already held oversee quality control skill
- already held perform a feasibility study on biogas energy skill
- already held perform a feasibility study on heat pumps skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held promote environmental awareness skill
- already held provide information on wind turbines skill
- already held smart grids systems knowledge
- already held types of heat pumps knowledge
- already held types of wind turbines knowledge
The 6 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
- optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held integrate biogas energy in buildings optional
- optional, not held determine internal air quality parameters optional
35 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held use specific data analysis software optional
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
- optional, not held data mining optional
- optional, not held data storage optional
- optional, not held define energy profiles optional
- optional, not held design district heating and cooling energy systems optional
- optional, not held design passive energy measures optional
- optional, not held determine internal air quality parameters optional
- optional, not held information extraction optional
- optional, not held information structure optional
- optional, not held inspect facility sites optional
- optional, not held integrate biogas energy in buildings optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study for building management systems optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held perform data mining optional
- optional, not held perform energy simulations optional
- optional, not held perform smart grid feasibility study optional
- optional, not held photovoltaic systems optional
- optional, not held unstructured data optional
- optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
- optional, not held utilise machine learning optional
- optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
- optional, not held analyse big data optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held create CAD drawings optional
- optional, not held data analytics optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held power engineering optional
- optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
59 held skills the energy systems engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role alternative energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role alternative fuels knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse energy market trends skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role calculate solar panel orientation skill
- not needed by the target role conduct energy audit skill
- not needed by the target role create designs for pipeline engineering skill
- not needed by the target role demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
- not needed by the target role design a solar absorption cooling system skill
- not needed by the target role design a solar heating system skill
- not needed by the target role design biomass installations skill
- not needed by the target role design geothermal energy systems skill
- not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role design smart grids skill
- not needed by the target role design thermal equipment skill
- not needed by the target role design ventilation network skill
- not needed by the target role develop electricity distribution schedule skill
- not needed by the target role develop energy policy skill
- not needed by the target role develop energy saving concepts skill
- not needed by the target role develop strategies for electricity contingencies skill
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy transformation knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute feasibility study on hydrogen skill
- not needed by the target role fluid mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role fossil fuels knowledge
- not needed by the target role fuel gas knowledge
- not needed by the target role gas consumption knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain solar energy systems skill
- not needed by the target role make electrical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role manage electricity transmission system skill
- not needed by the target role manage gas transmission system skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role marine energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role mitigate environmental impact of pipeline projects skill
- not needed by the target role natural gas knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating skill
19 further entries not listed here
16 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
- optional, not held data mining optional
- optional, not held data storage optional
- optional, not held information extraction optional
- optional, not held information structure optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held photovoltaic systems optional
- optional, not held unstructured data optional
- optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held data analytics optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held power engineering optional
- optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
Common questions about this move
Can an energy engineer become an energy systems engineer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An energy engineer already covers 63% of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do: 49 skills carry over, 26 of which the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
What skills does an energy engineer need to become an energy systems engineer?
8 required skills are missing, plus 35 optional ones. They fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is adapt energy distribution schedules.
How hard is the move from energy engineer to energy systems engineer?
Its learning distance is 53.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.