Will “Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C 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)
- 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
- Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C Technician)
- 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 “Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C Technician)”
- Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
- Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
- Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.
- 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).
- Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems.
- Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.
- 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.
- Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
- Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.
- 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.
- Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
- Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
- Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
- Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.
- 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.
- Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
- Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.
- Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
- 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.
Related Technology & Tools
- Pipe squeeze off tools
- Personal computers
- Depth meters
- Grout mixers
- Pavement saws
- Tracked excavators
- Protective respirators
- Claw hammers
- Coil tubing units
- Air wrenches
- Adjustable pipe wrenches
- Portable welding equipment
- Deburring tools
- Grout pumps
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Pipe cutters
- Well drilling rigs
- Trench compacters
- Straight screwdrivers
- Alignment clamps
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Safety gloves
- Wire cutters
- Laptop computers
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Butt fusion machines
- Ratchet sets
- Desktop computers
- Valve wrenches
- Channel lock pliers
- Socket wrench sets
- Wire strippers
- Air monitoring equipment
- Safety glasses
- Pyrometers
- Email software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- WaterFurnace International Ground Loop Design PREMIER
- SAP
- Distributed control system DCS
- Thermal Dynamics Ground Loop Design GLD
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Geothermal Properties Measurement Tool
- ClimateMaster GeoDesigner