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