Solar energy engineer to energy systems engineer
A solar energy engineer already meets 51% of what the energy systems engineer role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
63.4/ 100
1 How much of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do is already part of a solar 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 18 of its required skills as things a solar energy engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- draw blueprints
- energy
- energy market
- energy micro-generation technologies
What stands in the way is 16 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 46 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 solar energy engineer background worth leading with.
- already held design solar energy systems communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held conduct engineering site audits information skills
- already held photovoltaic systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held energy micro-generation technologies engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held create CAD drawings working with computers
- already held inspect facility sites information skills
All 46 carried skills, including the 18 the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 46 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 combined heat and power generation required
- still to learn geothermal energy required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn energy conservation required
- still to learn energy performance of buildings required
- still to learn environmental engineering required
- optional, not held biogas energy optional
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held geothermal energy systems optional
- optional, not held heat transfer processes optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering 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 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 carry out energy management of facilities 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 instruct on energy saving technologies optional
- optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
- still to learn identify energy needs required
- 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 biogas energy optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on heat pumps optional
- optional, not held perform energy simulations optional
- optional, not held perform smart grid feasibility study optional
- optional, not held analyse energy consumption 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
- still to learn adapt energy distribution schedules required
- optional, not held provide information on wind turbines optional
- optional, not held oversee quality control 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 adapt energy distribution schedules practise this
- 02 combined heat and power generation study this
- 03 design electric 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 46 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held draw blueprints 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 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 test data skill
- already held assess financial viability skill
- already held business intelligence knowledge
- already held cloud technologies knowledge
- already held conduct engineering site audits skill
- already held create CAD drawings skill
- already held data analytics knowledge
- already held data mining knowledge
- already held data storage knowledge
- already held design solar energy systems skill
- already held industrial heating systems knowledge
- already held information extraction knowledge
- already held information structure knowledge
- already held inspect facility sites skill
- already held perform data mining skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held photovoltaic systems knowledge
- already held power engineering knowledge
- already held smart grids systems knowledge
- already held statistical analysis system software knowledge
- already held thermodynamics 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
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held integrate biogas energy in buildings optional
30 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held biogas energy optional
- 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 determine internal air quality parameters optional
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held geothermal energy systems 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 mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study for building management systems optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on biogas energy optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held perform a feasibility study on heat pumps optional
- optional, not held perform energy simulations optional
- optional, not held perform smart grid feasibility study optional
- optional, not held provide information on wind turbines optional
- optional, not held types of heat pumps optional
- optional, not held analyse energy consumption 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 oversee quality control optional
- optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
- optional, not held types of wind turbines optional
26 held skills the energy systems engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adjust voltage skill
- not needed by the target role alternative energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role battery design knowledge
- not needed by the target role calculate solar panel orientation 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 thermal equipment skill
- not needed by the target role electrical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role electricity market knowledge
- not needed by the target role fluid mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain concentrated solar power systems skill
- not needed by the target role maintain photovoltaic systems skill
- not needed by the target role maintain solar energy systems skill
- not needed by the target role operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating skill
- not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling skill
- not needed by the target role perform feasibility study on solar heating skill
- not needed by the target role provide information on solar panels skill
- not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
- not needed by the target role read engineering drawings skill
- not needed by the target role run simulations skill
- not needed by the target role solar products knowledge
- not needed by the target role sustainable technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role test procedures in electricity transmission skill
- not needed by the target role types of photovoltaic panels knowledge
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role use thermal analysis skill
17 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 geothermal energy required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn electricity consumption required
- still to learn energy conservation required
- still to learn energy performance of buildings required
- still to learn environmental engineering required
- optional, not held biogas energy optional
- optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
- optional, not held geothermal energy systems optional
- optional, not held heat transfer processes optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering 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
Common questions about this move
Can a solar energy engineer become an energy systems engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A solar energy engineer already covers 51% of what an energy systems engineer is expected to do: 46 skills carry over, 18 of which the energy systems engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a solar energy engineer need to become an energy systems engineer?
16 required skills are missing, plus 30 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is adapt energy distribution schedules.
How hard is the move from solar energy engineer to energy systems engineer?
Its learning distance is 63.4 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.