Mechanical Engineer
The Job of a Solar Mechanical Engineer, a comprehensive guide
Mechanical or thermal engineers design, develop, and maintain the equipment and systems required to harness solar energy. This includes solar panels, mounting structures, tracking systems, inverters, and storage solutions. Their job is to ensure that these systems operate efficiently and reliably, making the most of the sun's energy.
Overview of the Solar Mechanical Engineer Job
Mechanical or thermal engineers have a detailed understanding of all solar related equipment and products and partner with other engineers and designers to continuously improve performance and reduce the cost of solar energy systems.
Solar Mechanical Engineer Salary
Electrical Engineers earn a median salary of $96,310 per the BLS. The top 10% of earners receive more than $151,260 per year, while the bottom 10% earn less than $61,990,. Like most engineering positions, as you develop expertise in a specific technology or industry, you can continue to earn more given your experience.
Common Solar Mechanical Engineer Job Descriptions
Mechanical Engineers can work on a variety of projects from improving energy storage to modeling materials used in components. Common responsibilities include:
Modeling and designing solar energy systems: Model systems and their materials including plastics, metals, polymers, insulators, conductors, and other components Use design analysis to understand structural and thermal properties.
Testing and evaluating systems: Assess efficiency and reliability of solar energy systems, identifying any issues and developing solutions.
Collaborating with other engineers: Work closely with other engineers, including electrical engineers and civil engineers, to design and build electronics packaging helping to solve isolation, thermal management, interconnection, and more
Managing projects: Mechanical engineers are often responsible for managing solar energy projects, including budgeting, scheduling, and coordinating with contractors.
Conducting research: Stay informed on the latest developments in solar technology and conduct research to develop new, more efficient systems reading academic papers on new materials to understanding competitive offerings in the market.
Solar Mechanical Engineer Job and Skill Requirements
To obtain a job as an mechanical engineer at solar manufacturer, you will typically need most of the following requirements:
A bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a related field. Some employers may require a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Senior roles at the forefront of solar innovation may require a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
2+ years experience designing new electronic products or building hardware / power products (inverters, transformers)
EIT or PE license in either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
Experience with hands-on prototyping/fabrication
Highly proficient with tools such as CAD, Solidworks, CATIA, MATLAB, COMSOL, and more
Knowledge of tools and processes for FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), RCA (Root Cause Analysis) and Fault Tree Analysis.
Experience with Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs), TRRs, and table top/peer reviews.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes such as sheet metal forming, stamping, casting, and injection molding
Experience in the solar industry is generally a plus if you have the relevant technical expertise
What's the day-to-day as a Solar Mechanical Engineer?
Electrical engineers will be responsible for creating new products and systems to power the energy grid. Day-to-day will depend on the stage and needs of a project, but will include activities like:
Create new design and define the product architecture
Define and build prototypes to test modeled assumptions
Perform simulations, risk assessments, and determine the structural and thermal analysis of the product
Evaluate system designs to create documentation and specification sheets on new products
Partner with Electrical and Systems Engineers to build scalable systems, ensuring alignment across the entire product and the electricity grid
Supporting sourcing materials and creating go to market documentation for any new products launching
Job Outlook for Solar Mechancial Engineers
Like electrical engineers, mechanical engineers are expected to grow slower than the overall labor marketplace, but solar opportunities are expected to increase faster.
Career Opportunities for Solar Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers can specialize in a particular aspect of solar energy systems. The can also move into a management or leadership role, overseeing the work of other mechanical engineers and guiding the direction of solar energy projects.
How to Become a Solar Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical engineers should leverage their professional network and college career hubs to find jobs within the industry. Alumni of your engineering programs are fantastic resources to learn more about the jobs available to you. To stay on top of the latest general mechanical engineering jobs, subscribe to job alerts on job boards like Indeed if you are industry agnostic.
WorkInSolar’s job board is focused on primarily skilled labor, manufacturing, and installation roles in the solar industry, so if you’ve decided solar is your dream career, check out the job board here.
How to keep learning more
Mechanical engineers are creating new products at the forefront of the United States’ energy transformation this decade. Keep up to date on the latest in solar by subscribing to the Work In Solar blog here.
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