Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians

Tasks

Core Tasks Include:

• Design active direct or indirect, passive direct or indirect, or pool solar systems.
• Perform routine maintenance or repairs to restore solar thermal systems to baseline operating conditions.
• Apply operation or identification tags or labels to system components, as required.
• Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors.
• Connect water heaters and storage tanks to power and water sources.
• Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment.
• Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.
• Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
• Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.
• Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
• Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
• Install heat exchangers and heat exchanger fluids according to installation manuals and schematics.
• Install monitoring system components, such as flow meters, temperature gauges, and pressure gauges, according to system design and manufacturer specifications.
• Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes.
• Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
• Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.
• Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
• Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
• Cut, miter, and glue piping insulation to insulate plumbing pipes and fittings.
• Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.

Supplemental Tasks Include:

• Apply ultraviolet radiation protection to prevent degradation of plumbing.

The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet291)