Will “Geothermal Field Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
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Job Description
Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 49-9099.01
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Geothermal Technicians”.
Also Known As…
- Geothermal Technicians
- Operator Technician
- Operations Technician
- Mechanical Technician
- Maintenance Technician
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical Technician (I C & E Technician)
- Instrumentation and Electrical Technician (I & E Technician)
- Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C Technician)
- Control Room Operator (CRO)
- Control Operator
- Pump Technician
- PPO (Power Plant Operator)
- Plant Technician
- Plant Operator
- Plant Mechanic
- Plant Control Operator
- Operator
- Operations and Maintenance Technician
- Mechanic
- Ground Source Heat Pump Technician (GSHP Technician)
- Geothermal Technician
- Geothermal System Installer
- Geothermal Installer
- Geothermal HVAC Technician (Geothermal Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Technician)
- Distribution Field Technician
- Corrosion Technician
Tasks for “Geothermal Field Technician”
- Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches.
- Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
- Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.
- Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.
- Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.
- Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.
- Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.
- Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
- Test water sources for factors such as flow volume and contaminant presence.
- Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
- Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
- Operate equipment such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).
- Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
- Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.
- Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.
- Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
- Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.
- Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
- Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems.
- Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.
- Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
- Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.
- Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
- Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.
Related Technology & Tools
- Tracked excavators
- Protective respirators
- Coil tubing units
- Alignment clamps
- Portable welding equipment
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Well drilling rigs
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Personal computers
- Ratchet sets
- Grout mixers
- Laptop computers
- Trench compacters
- Safety glasses
- Channel lock pliers
- Butt fusion machines
- Air wrenches
- Socket wrench sets
- Wire strippers
- Depth meters
- Wire cutters
- Grout pumps
- Desktop computers
- Pipe cutters
- Pavement saws
- Air monitoring equipment
- Adjustable pipe wrenches
- Pipe squeeze off tools
- Claw hammers
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Pyrometers
- Deburring tools
- Valve wrenches
- Straight screwdrivers
- Safety gloves
- WaterFurnace International Ground Loop Design PREMIER
- Thermal Dynamics Ground Loop Design GLD
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Word
- Distributed control system DCS
- Microsoft Excel
- ClimateMaster GeoDesigner
- SAP
- Email software
- Microsoft Office
- Geothermal Properties Measurement Tool