Careers > Solar Photovoltaic Installers

Solar Photovoltaic Installers

$45.23K Median Salary 2.3K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 51.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.

Reported Job Titles

Installer, Photovoltaic Installer (PV Installer), PV Design Technician (Photovoltaic Design Technician), Solar Designer, Solar Installer, Solar Installer Technician, Solar Photovoltaic Installer (Solar PV Installer), Solar Technician

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity

Visualization

Near Vision

Information Ordering

Deductive Reasoning

Finger Dexterity

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Control Precision

Manual Dexterity

Oral Comprehension

Speech Recognition

Category Flexibility

Inductive Reasoning

Multilimb Coordination

Oral Expression

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Static Strength

Trunk Strength

Visual Color Discrimination

Knowledge

Mechanical

Building and Construction

English Language

Design

Customer and Personal Service

Production and Processing

Engineering and Technology

Mathematics

Skills

Installation

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Active Learning

Coordination

Judgment and Decision Making

Quality Control Analysis

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Time Management

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Enterprise application integration software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Project management software

Calendar and scheduling software

Computer aided design CAD software

Tools

Levels

Screwdrivers

Power drills

Pipe wrenches

Stripping tools

Pipe or tube cutter

Hex keys

Multimeters

Round file

Masks or accessories

Front end loaders

Ladders

Tape measures

Geological compasses

Wire cutters

Ratchets

Ohmmeters

Blow torch

Notebook computers

Squares

Post hole digger

Shovels

Pitch measuring instruments

Minivans or vans

Locking pliers

Sledge hammer

Portable data input terminals

Safety harnesses or belts

Caulking guns

Digital camcorders or video cameras

Solar radiation surface observing apparatus

Adjustable wrenches

Pocket calculator

Trenching machines

Wire lug crimping tool

Global positioning system GPS receiver

Claw hammer

Power saws

Tinners snips

Mallets

Putty knives

Safety glasses

Utility knives

Forklifts

Protective gloves

Wheelbarrows

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Installation: Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Microsoft Dynamics; Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
Enterprise application integration software: Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit

Tools

Levels: Optical levels
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Power drills: Hand drills
Pipe wrenches:
Stripping tools: Wire strippers
Pipe or tube cutter: Flange facing machines
Hex keys: Allen wrenches; Hex wrenches
Multimeters:
Round file: Round files
Masks or accessories: Dust masks
Front end loaders: Wheeled front end loaders
Ladders: Extension ladders
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Geological compasses: Underwater compasses
Wire cutters:
Ratchets: Ratchet sets
Ohmmeters: Digital ohmmeters
Blow torch: Underwater blow torches
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Squares:
Post hole digger: Post hole augers
Shovels: Snow shovels
Pitch measuring instruments: Screw pitch gauges
Minivans or vans: Work vans
Locking pliers: Channel lock pliers; Vise grip pliers
Sledge hammer: Steel sledge hammers
Portable data input terminals: Data acquisition equipment; Data loggers
Safety harnesses or belts: Climbing belts
Caulking guns:
Digital camcorders or video cameras: Digital video cameras
Solar radiation surface observing apparatus: Pyranometers
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Pocket calculator: Handheld calculators
Trenching machines: Trenchers
Wire lug crimping tool: Blasting cap crimpers
Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Power saws: Chain saws
Tinners snips: Compound snips; Snips; Straight snips; Tin snips
Mallets: Rawhide mallets
Putty knives:
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Utility knives: Precision knives
Forklifts:
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Wheelbarrows:
Desktop computers:
Personal computers:

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