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