Perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures, applying knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics.
U.S. Workers
150,750
Median Salary
$117,750
10-Year Growth
+2.1%
Annual Openings
9,300
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
12 of 13 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Create plans for solar energy system development, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can synthesize site, technical, and financial inputs to generate development, monitoring, and evaluation plans for solar projects autonomously.
Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can size systems, produce layouts, select components and run performance simulations for PV/solar-thermal systems end-to-end, enabling full design and coordination in many cases.
Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and existing simulation software can fully perform PV performance and energy-production simulations and optimizations given accurate system and site inputs.
Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
AI: Fully automatable - Creating inspection and review checklists is a routine, rules-based task that AI can fully generate from standards and project specifications.
Perform thermal, stress, or cost reduction analyses for solar systems.
AI: Fully automatable - Thermal, structural stress, and cost-reduction analyses can be fully executed by simulation and optimization software guided by AI given proper models and input data.
Conduct engineering site audits to collect structural, electrical, and related site information for use in the design of residential or commercial solar power systems.
AI: Partial - AI can guide data collection and analyze photos and sensor readings from site audits, but cannot fully replace the physical measurements and nuanced on-site assessments done by engineers.
Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
AI: Partial - AI tools can generate single-line diagrams and panel schedules in CAD from inputs and templates, but site-specific measurements, code compliance, and final validation still require human oversight.
Review specifications and recommend engineering or manufacturing changes to achieve solar design objectives.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze specifications and propose engineering or manufacturing changes based on best practices and simulations, but recommendations typically need expert validation for safety, manufacturability, and regulatory fit.
Develop design specifications and functional requirements for residential, commercial, or industrial solar energy systems or components.
AI: Partial - AI can draft detailed design specifications and functional requirements from inputs and standards, yet finalization and acceptance generally require domain-expert judgment and regulatory sign-off.
Provide technical direction or support to installation teams during installation, start-up, testing, system commissioning, or performance monitoring.
AI: Partial - AI can provide remote technical guidance, diagnostics, and monitoring support during installation and commissioning, but on-site direction, troubleshooting under uncertainty, and liability-bearing decisions still need humans.
Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.
AI: Partial - AI can draft SOPs and quality/safety standards using codes and best practices, but organizational, regulatory, and liability considerations require human review and approval.
Design or develop vacuum tube collector systems for solar applications.
AI: Partial - AI can design vacuum tube collector concepts, produce drawings and calculations, and suggest development steps, but prototyping, materials selection, and final engineering validation still need human engineers.
Test or evaluate photovoltaic (PV) cells or modules.
AI: Not automatable - Physical testing and evaluation of PV cells or modules require laboratory equipment and hands-on measurements that AI cannot perform autonomously.