Renewable energy engineer to energy systems engineer
A renewable energy engineer already meets 65% of what the energy systems engineer role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
50.2/ 100
1 How much of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do is already part of a renewable 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 24 of its required skills as things a renewable energy engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adapt energy distribution schedules
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- carry out energy management of facilities
- electrical power safety regulations
- energy conservation
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 · What you already bring
Of the 57 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 a renewable energy engineer background worth leading with.
- already held perform a feasibility study on biogas energy information skills
- already held geothermal energy engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held perform energy simulations information skills
- already held perform a feasibility study on heat pumps information skills
- already held photovoltaic systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held energy micro-generation technologies engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 57 carried skills, including the 24 the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 35 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 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
- optional, not held design a building management system optional
- optional, not held design a domotic system in buildings optional
- optional, not held design district heating and cooling energy systems optional
- optional, not held design heat pump installations optional
- optional, not held design passive energy measures optional
- optional, not held design solar energy systems optional
- optional, not held instruct on energy saving technologies optional
- optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
- still to learn combined heat and power generation required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn energy required
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held heat transfer processes optional
- optional, not held types of heat pumps optional
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held types of wind turbines optional
- still to learn inspect building systems required
- still to learn perform risk analysis required
- optional, not held define energy profiles 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 assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held conduct engineering site audits optional
- still to learn determine appropriate heating and cooling system required
- optional, not held determine internal air quality parameters optional
- optional, not held identify fitted source for heat pumps optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
- optional, not held integrate biogas energy in buildings optional
1 further area 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 combined heat and power generation study this
- 02 design electric power systems practise this
- 03 determine appropriate heating and cooling system 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 57 skills that carry over
- already held adapt energy distribution schedules skill
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held carry out energy management of facilities skill
- already held electrical power safety regulations 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 identify energy needs skill
- already held manage engineering project skill
- already held perform scientific research 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 troubleshoot skill
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held analyse big data skill
- already held analyse energy consumption skill
- already held analyse test data skill
- already held biogas energy knowledge
- already held business intelligence knowledge
- already held cloud technologies knowledge
- already held create CAD drawings skill
- already held data analytics knowledge
- already held data mining knowledge
- already held data storage knowledge
- already held geothermal energy systems knowledge
- already held industrial heating systems knowledge
- already held information extraction knowledge
- already held information structure knowledge
- already held inspect facility sites skill
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
- 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 data mining skill
- already held perform energy simulations skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held perform smart grid feasibility study skill
- already held photovoltaic systems knowledge
- already held power engineering knowledge
- already held provide information on wind turbines skill
- already held smart grids systems knowledge
- already held statistical analysis system software knowledge
- already held unstructured data knowledge
- already held use specific data analysis software skill
- already held utilise decision support system skill
- already held utilise machine learning skill
- already held visual presentation techniques knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
25 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held define energy profiles optional
- optional, not held design a building management system optional
- optional, not held design a domotic system in buildings optional
- optional, not held design district heating and cooling energy systems optional
- optional, not held design heat pump installations optional
- optional, not held design passive energy measures optional
- optional, not held design solar energy systems optional
- optional, not held determine internal air quality parameters optional
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held heat transfer processes optional
- optional, not held identify fitted source for heat pumps optional
- optional, not held instruct on energy saving technologies optional
- optional, not held integrate biogas energy in buildings 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 types of heat pumps optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held conduct engineering site audits optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
- optional, not held types of wind turbines optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
36 held skills the energy systems engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assess heating and cooling systems skill
- not needed by the target role assess project resource needs skill
- not needed by the target role bioeconomy knowledge
- not needed by the target role civil engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role coordinate electricity generation skill
- not needed by the target role design a solar absorption cooling system skill
- not needed by the target role design geothermal energy systems skill
- not needed by the target role design wind turbines skill
- not needed by the target role develop material testing procedures skill
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- not needed by the target role fluid mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role green automotive technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role inform on government funding skill
- not needed by the target role inspect wind turbines skill
- not needed by the target role integrated food-energy systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain photovoltaic systems skill
- not needed by the target role make electrical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role marine energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role mini wind power generation knowledge
- not needed by the target role mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling skill
- not needed by the target role power electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare scientific reports skill
- not needed by the target role provide information on geothermal heat pumps skill
- not needed by the target role provide information on solar panels skill
- not needed by the target role report test findings skill
- not needed by the target role research locations for wind farms skill
- not needed by the target role resource-efficient technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role sustainable manufacturing knowledge
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role use software tools for site modelling skill
- not needed by the target role use thermal management skill
- not needed by the target role wind energy knowledge
11 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 combined heat and power generation required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn energy required
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held heat transfer processes optional
- optional, not held types of heat pumps optional
- optional, not held building automation optional
- optional, not held fuel distribution systems optional
- optional, not held heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration parts optional
- optional, not held thermodynamics optional
- optional, not held types of wind turbines optional
Common questions about this move
Can a renewable energy engineer become an energy systems engineer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A renewable energy engineer already covers 65% of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do: 57 skills carry over, 24 of which the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a renewable energy engineer need to become an energy systems engineer?
10 required skills are missing, plus 25 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is combined heat and power generation.
How hard is the move from renewable energy engineer to energy systems engineer?
Its learning distance is 50.2 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.