Will “Operations 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
- 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”
- Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.
- Operate equipment such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).
- 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.
- 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.
- Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.
- Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
- 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.
- 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.
- Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
- Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
- Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
- 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.
- Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
- 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.
- Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
- Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.
- Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
- Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.
Related Technology & Tools
- Coil tubing units
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Wire strippers
- Desktop computers
- Pipe squeeze off tools
- Personal computers
- Grout mixers
- Wire cutters
- Air monitoring equipment
- Safety glasses
- Trench compacters
- Straight screwdrivers
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Adjustable pipe wrenches
- Deburring tools
- Claw hammers
- Ratchet sets
- Alignment clamps
- Tracked excavators
- Pipe cutters
- Well drilling rigs
- Channel lock pliers
- Valve wrenches
- Portable welding equipment
- Pavement saws
- Socket wrench sets
- Air wrenches
- Pyrometers
- Grout pumps
- Protective respirators
- Safety gloves
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Laptop computers
- Depth meters
- Butt fusion machines
- Microsoft Office
- Thermal Dynamics Ground Loop Design GLD
- Email software
- SAP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Geothermal Properties Measurement Tool
- WaterFurnace International Ground Loop Design PREMIER
- Distributed control system DCS
- Microsoft Excel
- ClimateMaster GeoDesigner
- Microsoft Word