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