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

solar energy engineertothermal engineer

A solar energy engineer already meets 44% of what the thermal engineer role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

From solar energy engineer
44%
Overlap1
To thermal engineer
20 Skills carried over
14 Required, not held
65.3 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

44%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

65.3/ 100

1 Share of the thermal engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the solar 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 thermal engineer role treats 15 of its required skills as things a solar energy engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • approve engineering design
  • design thermal equipment
  • engineering principles
  • engineering processes
  • fluid mechanics

What stands in the way is 14 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 20 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A thermal 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held use thermal analysis working with computers
  • already held design thermal equipment communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heating working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held design a solar heating system communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held design a solar absorption cooling system communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held perform feasibility study on solar heating information skills

All 20 carried skills, including the 15 the thermal engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 34 missing skills fall into 8 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 6 supplementary
  • required, not held design an electric heating system required
  • required, not held design passive energy measures required
  • required, not held provide information on geothermal heat pumps required
  • required, not held design engineering components required
  • 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 communicate with customers optional
  • optional, not held design firmware optional
  • optional, not held design prototypes optional
02 information skills 4 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held interpret 2D plans required
  • required, not held perform a feasibility study on electric heating required
  • required, not held perform a feasibility study on heat pumps required
  • required, not held interpret 3D plans required
  • optional, not held assess energy consumption of ventilation systems optional
  • optional, not held perform a feasibility study on combined heat and power optional
  • optional, not held report test findings optional
03 engineering, manufacturing and construction 4 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held heat transfer processes required
  • required, not held mechanical engineering required
  • required, not held thermal materials required
  • required, not held mechanics required
  • optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
  • optional, not held distribution of heating cooling and hot water optional
04 working with computers 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held use thermal management required
  • optional, not held develop software prototype optional
  • optional, not held operate climate control optional
05 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held design thermal requirements required
  • optional, not held identify fitted source for heat pumps optional
06 assisting and caring 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held follow company standards optional
  • optional, not held oversee quality control optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a thermal 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 20 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • 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
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 information and communication technologies (icts) 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held CAD software optional
  • optional, not held computational fluid dynamics optional
08 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held ensure equipment cooling optional
  • optional, not held use testing equipment optional
20 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • 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
52 held skills the thermal engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • 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

8 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 heat transfer processes required
  • required, not held mechanical engineering required
  • required, not held thermal materials required
  • required, not held 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
Index

Other moves recorded from solar energy engineer

Full index of moves from solar 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.