What is a Solar Thermal Installer or Technician?

Position Description Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.

What Do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Do On a Daily Basis?

• Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors.
• Apply operation or identification tags or labels to system components, as required.
• Install monitoring system components, such as flow meters, temperature gauges, and pressure gauges, according to system design and manufacturer specifications.
• Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes.
• Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
• Cut, miter, and glue piping insulation to insulate plumbing pipes and fittings.

Things a Solar Thermal Installer or Technician Should Know How to Do

When polled, Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Installation: Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Related Job Titles for this Occupation:

• Ancillary Technician
• Solar Installation Technician
• Installer
• Solar Thermal Installer
• Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer)

Is There Job Demand for Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians?

In the United States, there were 42,700 jobs for Solar Thermal Installer or Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,100 new jobs for Solar Thermal Installer or Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 5,100 positions for Solar Thermal Installer or Technician per year.

The states with the most job growth for Solar Thermal Installer or Technician are District of Columbia, Colorado, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What Tools & Technology do Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Word processing software
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• National Instruments LabVIEW
• Dassault Systemes CATIA
• Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
• Salesforce software
• Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
• Work scheduling software
• Palm OS
• 1CadCam Unigraphics
• Cost estimating software
• Project management software
• PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire
• Computer-aided drafting or design software

Becoming a Solar Thermal Installer or Technician

Education needed to be a Solar Thermal Installer or Technician:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Solar Thermal Installer or Technician?

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

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More about our data sources and methodologies.