Solar energy engineer to thermal engineer

• already held adjust engineering designs skill
• already held approve engineering design skill
• already held design thermal equipment skill
• already held engineering principles knowledge
• already held engineering processes knowledge
• already held fluid mechanics knowledge
• already held manage engineering project skill
• already held operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating skill
• already held perform scientific research skill
• already held sustainable technologies knowledge
• already held technical drawings knowledge
• already held thermodynamics knowledge
• already held troubleshoot skill
• already held use technical drawing software skill
• already held use thermal analysis skill
• already held design a solar absorption cooling system skill
• already held design a solar heating system skill
• already held perform feasibility study on solar heating skill
• already held power engineering knowledge
• already held wear appropriate protective gear skill

• optional, not held assess energy consumption of ventilation systems optional
• optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
• optional, not held design heat pump installations optional
• optional, not held design hot water systems optional
• optional, not held develop product design optional
• optional, not held develop software prototype optional
• optional, not held distribution of heating cooling and hot water optional
• optional, not held ensure equipment cooling optional
• optional, not held identify fitted source for heat pumps optional
• optional, not held operate climate control optional
• optional, not held perform a feasibility study on combined heat and power optional
• optional, not held CAD software optional
• optional, not held communicate with customers optional
• optional, not held computational fluid dynamics optional
• optional, not held design firmware optional
• optional, not held design prototypes optional
• optional, not held follow company standards optional
• optional, not held oversee quality control optional
• optional, not held report test findings optional
• optional, not held use testing equipment optional

• not needed by the target role adjust voltage skill
• not needed by the target role alternative energy knowledge
• not needed by the target role analyse big data skill
• not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
• not needed by the target role assess financial viability skill
• not needed by the target role battery design knowledge
• not needed by the target role business intelligence knowledge
• not needed by the target role calculate solar panel orientation skill
• not needed by the target role cloud technologies knowledge
• not needed by the target role conduct engineering site audits skill
• not needed by the target role create CAD drawings skill
• not needed by the target role data analytics knowledge
• not needed by the target role data mining knowledge
• not needed by the target role data storage knowledge
• not needed by the target role design solar energy systems skill
• not needed by the target role draw blueprints 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 energy knowledge
• not needed by the target role energy market knowledge
• not needed by the target role energy micro-generation technologies knowledge
• not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
• not needed by the target role industrial heating systems knowledge
• not needed by the target role information extraction knowledge
• not needed by the target role information structure knowledge
• not needed by the target role inspect facility sites skill
• 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 perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling skill
• not needed by the target role perform data mining skill
• not needed by the target role perform project management skill
• not needed by the target role photovoltaic systems knowledge
• not needed by the target role promote sustainable energy 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 renewable energy knowledge
• not needed by the target role run simulations skill
• not needed by the target role smart grids systems knowledge

12 further entries not listed here

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

• still to learn heat transfer processes required
• still to learn mechanical engineering required
• still to learn thermal materials required
• still to learn mechanics required
• optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
• optional, not held distribution of heating cooling and hot water optional
• optional, not held CAD software optional
• optional, not held computational fluid dynamics optional

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A solar energy engineer already covers 44% of what a thermal engineer is expected to do: 20 skills carry over, 15 of which the thermal engineer role treats as required.

14 required skills are missing, plus 20 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is design an electric heating system.

Its learning distance is 65.3 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.