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