About This Career

Directs work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.

This career is part of the Energy cluster Installation and Repair pathway.

A person in this career:

• Plans and coordinates installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
• Supervises solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards.
• Estimates materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
• Prepares solar installation project proposals, quotes, budgets, or schedules.
• Provides technical assistance to installers, technicians, or other solar professionals in areas such as solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, electrical systems, or mechanical systems.
• Performs start-up of systems for testing or customer implementation.
• Coordinates or schedules building inspections for solar installation projects.
• Identifies means to reduce costs, minimize risks, or increase efficiency of solar installation projects.
• Assesses system performance or functionality at the system, subsystem, and component levels.
• Assesses potential solar installation sites to determine feasibility and design requirements.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Weekend work