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