Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Energy engineer to solar energy engineer

An energy engineer already meets 58% of what the solar energy engineer role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From energy engineer
58 % overlap
Partial match
To solar energy engineer
34 You already bring
10 Still to learn
72 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

55.1/ 100

1 How much of what a solar energy 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 solar energy engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A solar energy engineer role treats 23 of its required skills as things an energy engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • alternative energy
  • approve engineering design
  • conduct engineering site audits
  • design a solar heating system
  • design solar energy systems

What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 34 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A solar energy 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held design solar energy systems communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held maintain solar energy systems working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held use thermal analysis working with computers
  • already held calculate solar panel orientation information skills
  • already held types of photovoltaic panels engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held design thermal equipment communication, collaboration and creativity

All 34 carried skills, including the 23 the solar energy engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 38 missing skills fall into 11 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn photovoltaic systems required
  • still to learn electrical engineering required
  • still to learn power engineering required
  • still to learn solar products required
  • optional, not held battery design optional
02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn maintain concentrated solar power systems required
  • still to learn adjust voltage required
  • optional, not held maintain photovoltaic systems optional
03 information skills 1 required, 6 supplementary
  • still to learn perform scientific research required
  • optional, not held inspect facility sites optional
  • optional, not held perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling 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 run simulations optional
04 working with computers 1 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn create CAD drawings required
  • 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 use CAD software optional
05 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn provide information on solar panels required
  • optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
06 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn thermodynamics required
  • optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a solar energy engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 34 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adjust engineering designs skill
  • already held alternative energy knowledge
  • already held approve engineering design skill
  • already held conduct engineering site audits skill
  • already held design a solar heating system skill
  • already held design solar energy systems skill
  • already held energy knowledge
  • already held energy market knowledge
  • already held energy micro-generation technologies knowledge
  • already held engineering principles knowledge
  • already held engineering processes knowledge
  • already held examine engineering principles skill
  • already held maintain solar energy systems skill
  • already held manage engineering project skill
  • already held operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating skill
  • already held perform feasibility study on solar heating skill
  • already held promote sustainable energy skill
  • already held solar energy knowledge
  • already held sustainable technologies knowledge
  • already held technical drawings knowledge
  • already held types of photovoltaic panels knowledge
  • already held use technical drawing software skill
  • already held use thermal analysis skill
  • already held calculate solar panel orientation skill
  • already held design a solar absorption cooling system skill
  • already held design thermal equipment skill
  • already held fluid mechanics knowledge
  • already held industrial heating systems knowledge
  • already held perform project management skill
  • already held quality standards knowledge
  • already held read engineering drawings skill
  • already held renewable energy knowledge
  • already held smart grids systems knowledge
  • already held state estimation knowledge
The 5 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 information and communication technologies (icts) 7 supplementary
  • 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
08 business, administration and law 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
09 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held draw blueprints optional
  • optional, not held troubleshoot optional
10 arts and humanities 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
11 constructing 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
28 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held use specific data analysis software optional
  • optional, not held battery design optional
  • 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 inspect facility sites optional
  • optional, not held maintain photovoltaic systems optional
  • optional, not held perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling optional
  • optional, not held perform data mining 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 data analytics optional
  • optional, not held draw blueprints optional
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
  • optional, not held run simulations optional
  • optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional
  • optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
  • optional, not held troubleshoot optional
  • optional, not held use CAD software optional
  • optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
74 held skills the solar energy engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role alternative fuels knowledge
  • not needed by the target role analyse energy consumption skill
  • 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 biogas energy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role building automation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role carry out energy management of facilities skill
  • not needed by the target role combined heat and power generation knowledge
  • 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 building management system skill
  • not needed by the target role design a domotic system in buildings 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 heat pump installations 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 ventilation network skill
  • not needed by the target role determine appropriate heating and cooling system 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 district heating and cooling knowledge
  • not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
  • not needed by the target role electrical power safety regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role electricity consumption knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy conservation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy performance of buildings 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 engineering knowledge
  • 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 fossil fuels knowledge
  • not needed by the target role fuel gas knowledge
  • not needed by the target role gas consumption knowledge

34 further entries not listed here

17 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn photovoltaic systems required
  • still to learn electrical engineering required
  • still to learn power engineering required
  • still to learn solar products required
  • still to learn thermodynamics required
  • optional, not held battery design optional
  • 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 visual presentation techniques optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held data analytics optional
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
  • optional, not held statistical analysis system software optional
Index

Other moves recorded from energy engineer

Full index of moves from energy engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an energy engineer become a solar energy engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An energy engineer already covers 58% of what a solar energy engineer is expected to do: 34 skills carry over, 23 of which the solar energy engineer role treats as required.

What skills does an energy engineer need to become a solar energy engineer?

10 required skills are missing, plus 28 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is maintain concentrated solar power systems.

How hard is the move from energy engineer to solar energy engineer?

Its learning distance is 55.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.