Solar Manufacturing Technician
The Job of a Solar Manufacturing Technician, a comprehensive guide
Solar Manufacturing Technicians are experts in the facilities where solar panels are produced at scale. They understand how each machine and the detailed process works. Technicians ensure machines are set up appropriately, run smoothly through monitoring tools, perform QA, and help operate or repair systems.
Overview of the Solar Manufacturing Technician Job
As the U.S. looks to produce more of its solar panels in the United States due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, there will likely be a growing need to manufacturing technicians to oversee the production of panels, which is largely automated today
Solar Manufacturing Technician Salary
Manufacturing technicians earn a median salary of $61,580 per the IREC.
Common Solar Manufacturing Technician Job Descriptions
A Solar Manufacturing Technician’s key responsibilities include:
Setting up and operating equipment: The Solar Manufacturing Technician is responsible for setting up the equipment and computers in the facility. Manufacturing are heavily automated, but requires technicians to ensure they are set up and operating correctly.
Testing equipment: Once the equipment is set up, the technician must test it to ensure that it is working correctly.
Maintaining equipment: Maintain and repair the equipment used in the manufacturing process.
Troubleshooting: If there are any issues with the equipment, the technician must troubleshoot and fix them.
Following safety protocols: The Solar Manufacturing Technician must follow all safety protocols when working with machinery and equipment.
Quality Analysis: Precision engineering manufacturing requires attention to detail and regular QA to ensure panels are produced as expected.
Solar Manufacturing Technician Job and Skill Requirements
Technicians generally have the following requirements:
Training or credentials at a trade school in a technical program to learn manufacturing techniques
Some roles may require an undergraduate degree in engineering
Experience working with heavy machinery and electronics is required
Key soft skills required include attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well in a team.
What's the day-to-day as a Solar Manufacturing Technician?
The day-to-day job will involve the standard tasks described in key responsibilities above and generally have a similar routine. However, there is no predicting what may go wrong in the assembly line, so each day will bring its own challenges. Technicians should think of how to improve processes and mitigate risk associated with any malfunctioning equipment to continue excelling in their career.
Job Outlook for Solar Manufacturing Technicians
While the U.S. had offshored most of its solar panel manufacturing over the past decades, there are incentives for domestic production with the Inflation Reduction Act. As such, we expect the demand for these roles to increase in the near-term as we spin up facilities to supply the massive demand for solar panels.
Career Opportunities for Solar Manufacturing Technicians
Technicians can advance to become managers of their facility with their expertise. Alternatively, they can explore bridging into Installation and Operations roles with the knowledge of solar panel production. This can present a number of opportunities as outlined in the PV installer role.
How to Become a Solar Manufacturing Technician
Research manufacturing facilities for solar panels. There are a limited number of manufactures in the United States. Check out this resource on Solar Power World for a list of producers. Go to the employers Careers site and see if there are any jobs posted near you or in an area you are open to relocating to. Alternatively, subscribe to job alerts on Work In Solar’s job board to stay up to date for any technician roles that could appear.
How to keep learning more
Technicians are employees responsible for the successful manufacturing of solar panels and scaling up production to meet the demand in the market today. Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date on the latest information in the market.
Find Solar Manufacturing Technician Jobs
Create a Job Alert to get the latest Solar Manufacturing Technician jobs in your inbox