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Solar Energy Installation Managers

Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Provide technical assistance to installers, technicians, or other solar professionals in areas such as solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, electrical systems, or mechanical systems.
    • Assess system performance or functionality at the system, subsystem, and component levels.
    • Perform start-up of systems for testing or customer implementation.
    • Monitor work of contractors and subcontractors to ensure projects conform to plans, specifications, schedules, or budgets.
    • Visit customer sites to determine solar system needs, requirements, or specifications.
    • Evaluate subcontractors or subcontractor bids for quality, cost, and reliability.
    • Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
    • Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
    • Supervise solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards.
    • Develop and maintain system architecture, including all piping, instrumentation, or process flow diagrams.
    • Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
    • Coordinate or schedule building inspections for solar installation projects.
    • Assess potential solar installation sites to determine feasibility and design requirements.
    • Purchase or rent equipment for solar energy system installation.
    • Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
    • Prepare solar installation project proposals, quotes, budgets, or schedules.
    • Identify means to reduce costs, minimize risks, or increase efficiency of solar installation projects.

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    Abilities

    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    5 years or more work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    103290/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    49.66/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    24,530
    Yearly Projected Openings
    2410

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Adaptability/Flexibility
    • Analytical Thinking

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Blow torch
    • Caulking guns
    • Desktop computers
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Drill bit set
    • Forklifts
    • Front end loaders
    • Geological compasses
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Hacksaw
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Hole saws
    • Ladders
    • Levels
    • Locking pliers
    • Masks or accessories
    • Minivans or vans
    • Multimeters
    • Needlenose pliers
    • Notebook computers
    • Ohmmeters
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe wrenches
    • Pitch measuring instruments
    • Pocket calculator
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Positive displacement pumps
    • Power drills
    • Power saws
    • Protective gloves
    • Pry bars
    • Putty knives
    • Round file
    • Safety glasses
    • Screwdrivers
    • Socket sets
    • Solar radiation surface observing apparatus
    • Soldering iron
    • Stud finders
    • Tape measures
    • Theodolites
    • Threading taps
    • Tinners snips
    • Trenching machines
    • Tube bending machine
    • Utility knives
    • Wire cutters
    • Wire lug crimping tool

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Geographic information system
    • Inventory management software
    • Map creation software
    • Network conferencing software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software