Solar Photovoltaic Installer Career
Solar photovoltaic installers put together, install, or repair solar panel systems on buildings. If you choose to be a PV installer, you may plan PV designs to help customers figure out the best solar solutions for their situation and help install the actual solar panels and support structures. The tasks involved in installation include connecting the PV panels to a power grid, putting in weather sealing around the equipment, testing the system once it’s installed and checking on the system regularly.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Career Snapshot
If you are a PV installer, you will probably work for a contractor in the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical, power or communications field. PV installers spent a lot of time outside working on rooftops or in tight spaces like attics and crawl spaces connecting solar panels to electric grids. Some PV installers work on solar farms building frames to hold panels. You might work alone some of the time or on teams with other installers, roofers or electricians. If you choose this career, you may need to travel to different sites to install panels.
Further details on a career as a solar photovoltaic installer are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average annual salary for solar photovoltaic installers.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a High school diploma or equivalent.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Education
More than half of all PV installers have earned a high school diploma or equivalent.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Job Duties
If you enjoy using hand and power tools, you may enjoy being a PV installer. Daily tools include wrenches, saws, and screwdrivers as installers need to connect panels with frames, wires, rooftops and support structures. Once support structures and panels are in place, PV installers must connect the electrical components to the power grid so that the solar energy can be used and measured. As a PV installer, you might need to ensure that systems are properly wired and grounded. You may need to understand polarity and terminations as well as be able to maintain the system on an ongoing basis.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Salaries
As a new PV installer, you can expect to earn about $27,540 with a median pay of about $37,830 according to BLS.gov 2015 estimates. Top earners can make upwards of $56,670 per year.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Job Outlook
If you choose to be a PV installer, you can look forward to an employment growth of about 24 percent between 2014 to 2024. The solar energy industry is expected to expand in coming years, which will drive the job growth. The cost of PV panels and solar shingles is projected to decrease, which will increase the demand for these products and their installation.
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Skills & Traits
| Solar Photovoltaic Installer Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Solar Photovoltaic Installers: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Installation • Active Listening • Critical Thinking • Monitoring • Active Learning | • Problem Sensitivity • Visualization • Near Vision • Information Ordering • Deductive Reasoning | • Levels • Pipe wrenches • Power drills • Screwdrivers • Stripping tools | • Handling and Moving Objects • Performing General Physical Activities • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material • Getting Information • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events |
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