Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

renewable energy engineertosolar energy engineer

A renewable energy engineer already meets 60% of what the solar energy engineer role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.

From renewable energy engineer
60%
Overlap1
To solar energy engineer
46 Skills carried over
15 Required, not held
53 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

60%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

53/ 100

1 Share of the solar energy engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the renewable energy engineer profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A solar energy engineer role treats 18 of its required skills as things a renewable energy engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • approve engineering design
  • create CAD drawings
  • electrical engineering
  • energy market
  • energy micro-generation technologies

What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 46 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A solar energy 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held maintain photovoltaic systems working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling information skills
  • already held design a solar absorption cooling system communication, collaboration and creativity
  • 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

All 46 carried skills, including the 18 the solar energy engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 26 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 5 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held alternative energy required
  • required, not held energy required
  • required, not held solar products required
  • required, not held sustainable technologies required
  • required, not held types of photovoltaic panels required
  • optional, not held battery design optional
02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 4 required
  • required, not held maintain concentrated solar power systems required
  • required, not held operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating required
  • required, not held adjust voltage required
  • required, not held maintain solar energy systems required
03 information skills 2 required, 4 supplementary
  • required, not held perform feasibility study on solar heating required
  • required, not held conduct engineering site audits required
  • optional, not held assess financial viability optional
  • optional, not held calculate solar panel orientation optional
  • optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
  • optional, not held run simulations optional
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held design a solar heating system required
  • required, not held design solar energy systems required
  • optional, not held design thermal equipment optional
  • optional, not held draw blueprints optional
05 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • required, not held thermodynamics required
06 working with computers 1 required
  • required, not held use thermal analysis required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a solar energy engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 46 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adjust engineering designs skill
  • already held approve engineering design skill
  • already held create CAD drawings skill
  • already held electrical engineering 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 photovoltaic systems knowledge
  • already held power engineering knowledge
  • already held promote sustainable energy skill
  • already held provide information on solar panels skill
  • already held solar energy knowledge
  • already held technical drawings knowledge
  • already held use technical drawing software skill
  • already held analyse big data skill
  • already held analyse test data skill
  • already held business intelligence knowledge
  • already held cloud technologies knowledge
  • already held data analytics knowledge
  • already held data mining knowledge
  • already held data storage knowledge
  • already held design a solar absorption cooling system skill
  • already held fluid mechanics 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 maintain photovoltaic systems skill
  • already held perform a feasibility study on solar absorption cooling skill
  • already held perform data mining skill
  • already held perform project management skill
  • already held renewable energy knowledge
  • already held smart grids systems knowledge
  • already held state estimation knowledge
  • already held statistical analysis system software knowledge
  • already held troubleshoot skill
  • already held unstructured data knowledge
  • already held use CAD software skill
  • 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 3 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 business, administration and law 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
08 assisting and caring 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
09 constructing 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held battery design optional
  • optional, not held design thermal equipment optional
  • optional, not held assess financial viability optional
  • optional, not held calculate solar panel orientation optional
  • optional, not held draw blueprints optional
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
  • optional, not held run simulations optional
  • optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
  • optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
47 held skills the solar energy engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role adapt energy distribution schedules skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse energy consumption skill
  • 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 biogas energy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role carry out energy management of facilities skill
  • 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 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 power safety regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy conservation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy performance of buildings knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
  • not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role geothermal energy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role geothermal energy systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role green automotive technologies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role identify energy needs skill
  • 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 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 mechanical engineering 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 oversee quality control skill
  • not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on biogas energy skill
  • not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on heat pumps skill
  • not needed by the target role perform energy simulations skill
  • not needed by the target role perform smart grid feasibility study 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 wind turbines skill

7 further entries not listed here

9 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

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

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held alternative energy required
  • required, not held energy required
  • required, not held solar products required
  • required, not held sustainable technologies required
  • required, not held thermodynamics required
  • required, not held types of photovoltaic panels required
  • optional, not held battery design optional
  • optional, not held electricity market optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
Index

Other moves recorded from renewable energy engineer

Full index of moves from renewable energy engineer

Note

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.