Power production plant operator to solar power plant operator
A power production plant operator already meets 71% of what the solar power plant operator role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
38.1/ 100
1 How much of what a solar power plant operator is expected to do is already part of a power production plant operator’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 power plant operator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A solar power plant operator role treats 8 of its required skills as things a power production plant operator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- electric current
- electric generators
- electrical power safety regulations
- electricity
- maintain electrical equipment
- maintain records of maintenance interventions
What stands in the way is 7 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. A solar power plant operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a power production plant operator background worth leading with.
- already held maritime meteorology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held operate hydrogen extraction equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held operate steam turbine working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held prevent marine pollution information skills
- already held hydroelectricity engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held offshore constructions and facilities engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 49 carried skills, including the 8 the solar power plant operator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 missing skills fall into 7 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 install photovoltaic systems required
- still to learn maintain concentrated solar power systems required
- still to learn maintain photovoltaic systems required
- optional, not held install electrical and electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held replace large components optional
- still to learn photovoltaic systems required
- still to learn solar energy required
- still to learn apply health and safety standards required
- optional, not held provide information on solar panels optional
- still to learn install concentrated solar power systems required
- optional, not held coordinate electricity generation optional
- optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a solar power plant operator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 install concentrated solar power systems practise this
- 02 install photovoltaic systems practise this
- 03 maintain concentrated solar power systems 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 electric current knowledge
- already held electric generators knowledge
- already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
- already held electricity knowledge
- already held maintain electrical equipment skill
- already held maintain records of maintenance interventions skill
- already held monitor electric generators skill
- already held respond to electrical power contingencies skill
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held arrange equipment repairs skill
- already held automation technology knowledge
- already held battery chemistry knowledge
- already held battery components knowledge
- already held battery fluids knowledge
- already held chemical products knowledge
- already held control temperature skill
- already held cooperate with colleagues skill
- already held develop strategies for electricity contingencies skill
- already held electricity consumption knowledge
- already held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule skill
- already held ensure equipment maintenance skill
- already held ensure safety in electrical power operations skill
- already held fuel gas knowledge
- already held gather data skill
- already held hydraulics knowledge
- already held hydroelectricity knowledge
- already held install hydraulic systems skill
- already held liaise with engineers skill
- already held maintain hydraulic systems skill
- already held maintain sensor equipment skill
- already held manage data skill
- already held maritime meteorology knowledge
- already held offshore constructions and facilities knowledge
- already held offshore renewable energy technologies knowledge
- already held operate battery test equipment skill
- already held operate hydraulic machinery controls skill
- already held operate hydraulic pumps skill
- already held operate hydrogen extraction equipment skill
- already held operate steam turbine skill
- already held prevent marine pollution skill
- already held renewable energy knowledge
- already held repair battery components skill
- already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
- already held sensors knowledge
- already held smart grids systems knowledge
- already held statistical analysis system software knowledge
- already held survive at sea in the event of ship abandonment skill
- already held use communication techniques skill
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held set up machine controls optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held coordinate electricity generation optional
- optional, not held install electrical and electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held provide information on solar panels optional
- optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
- optional, not held replace large components optional
- optional, not held set up machine controls optional
14 held skills the solar power plant operator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role biomass conversion knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct routine machinery checks skill
- not needed by the target role fossil fuels knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect wind turbines skill
- not needed by the target role maintain power plant machinery skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor automated machines skill
- not needed by the target role nuclear energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate automated process control skill
- not needed by the target role operate boiler skill
- not needed by the target role oversee power equipment operation skill
- not needed by the target role perform minor repairs to equipment skill
- not needed by the target role types of wind turbines knowledge
- not needed by the target role use remote control equipment skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn photovoltaic systems required
- still to learn solar energy required
Other moves recorded from power production plant operator
Common questions about this move
Can a power production plant operator become a solar power plant operator?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A power production plant operator already covers 71% of what a solar power plant operator is expected to do: 49 skills carry over, 8 of which the solar power plant operator role treats as required.
What skills does a power production plant operator need to become a solar power plant operator?
7 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is install concentrated solar power systems.
How hard is the move from power production plant operator to solar power plant operator?
Its learning distance is 38.1 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.