Science & ResearchISCO 2149
Energy engineer
An energy engineer is a person who develops cleaner and more efficient ways of generating, converting and distributing energy, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Check yourself in a minute: energy engineer
Rate 5 of the 42 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
develop energy saving concepts
design a solar absorption cooling system
manage electricity transmission system
promote sustainable energy
analyse energy consumption
About energy engineer
The engineer runs feasibility studies on geothermal energy, on heat pumps, on solar heating and on biomass systems, establishing for a given site whether a source will deliver enough energy, at what cost and with what effect on the building or the grid. Where a study comes out positive they design the installation, solar heating systems among them, sizing collectors, storage and the controls that tie them together.
Energy is drawn both from natural resources such as oil and gas and from renewable and sustainable sources such as wind and sun, and the engineer compares those options on the same terms. The engineer also needs knowledge of renewable energy and of building automation.
The engineer also formulates instructions on energy-saving technologies, so that the people operating a building or a plant know what the design assumed. Formal requirements are set by the employer and by national rules for design work.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (42)
solar energysolar energyThe energy which originates from light and heat from the sun, and which can be harnessed and used as a renewable source of energy using different technologies, such as photovoltaics (PV) for electrici...energy marketenergy marketThe trends and major driving factors in the energy trading market, energy trades methodologies and practice, and the identification of the major stakeholders in the energy sector.sustainable technologiessustainable technologiesTechnologies with the aim of reducing environmental and ecological risks, achieving at the same time, a positive economic, social, and environmental impact. They are innovative technologies designed t...energyenergyPower capacity in the form of mechanical, electrical, heat, potential, or other energy from chemical or physical resources, which can be used to drive a physical system.engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.wind energywind energyRenewable energy that harnesses the power of wind, transforming air kinetic energy into electrical. Wind energy requires the construction of land or high sea wind farms as the extraction of energy tak...geothermal energy systemsgeothermal energy systemsLow temperature heating and high temperature cooling, generated by use of geothermal energy, and their contribution to energy performance.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.natural gasnatural gasThe various facets of natural gas: its extraction, processing, constituents, uses, environmental factors, etc.building automationbuilding automationType of automatic control system where through a Building Managements System or Building Automation System (BAS) the control of a building's ventilation, humidity, heating, lighting and other systems ...types of wind turbinestypes of wind turbinesThe two main types of wind turbines, namely those which rotate along a horizontal or those which rotate along a vertical axis, and their subtypes. The properties and uses of each.energy micro-generation technologiesenergy micro-generation technologiesThe technologies which allow the small-scale generation process of harvesting low carbon sources such as the sun, wind, or water flow, to produce heat or electricity. Energy micro-generation technolog...smart grids systemssmart grids systemsSmart grids are a digital electricity network. The system involves the electronic digital control of production, distribution and use of electricity, information management of the components and energ...energy efficiencyenergy efficiencyField of information concerning the reduction of the use of energy. It encompasses calculating the consumption of energy, providing certificates and support measures, saving energy by reducing the dem...alternative energyalternative energySources of energy that do not originate from fossil fuels and have few greenhouse emissions.solar absorption cooling systemsolar absorption cooling systemSolar absorption cooling is a heat-activated cooling system based on a solution absorption process. It contributes to energy performance.industrial heating systemsindustrial heating systemsHeating systems fuelled by gas, wood, oil, biomass, solar power, and other reneable energy sources and their energy saving principles, applicable specifically to industrial buildings and facilities.state estimationstate estimationThe process of fusing input data measurements and a mathematical model to determine the internal state of an energy system.energy conservationenergy conservationThe practice of reducing energy consumption and using fewer energy services. As a sustainable process, energy conservation is done by replacing used energy with alternative sources, using more efficie...marine energymarine energyThe energy generated from the natural movement of water such as ocean waves, tides, currents as well as from water temperature differences as thermal energy of deep cold water. Moreover, it is harness...renewable energyrenewable energyThe different types of energy sources which cannot be depleted, such as wind, solar, water, biomass, and biofuel energy. The different technologies used to implement these types of energy to an increa...develop energy saving conceptsdevelop energy saving conceptsUse current research results and collaborate with experts to optimise or develop concepts, equipment, and production processes which require a lesser amount of energy such as new insulation practices ...design a solar absorption cooling systemdesign a solar absorption cooling systemDesign an absorption cooling generation system with solar regeneration by heat tube collectors. Calculate accurate cooling demand of the building in order to select the right capacity (kW). Make a det...manage electricity transmission systemmanage electricity transmission systemManage the systems which ensure the transmission of electrical energy from electricity production facilities to electricity distribution facilities, through power lines, ensuring safety of operations ...promote sustainable energypromote sustainable energyPromote the use of renewable electricity and heat generation sources to organisations and individuals, in order to work towards a sustainable future and encourage sales of renewable energy equipment, ...analyse energy consumptionanalyse energy consumptionEvaluate and analyse the total amount of energy used by a company or an institution by assessing the needs linked to the operative processes and by identifying the causes of superfluous consumption.design a solar heating systemdesign a solar heating systemDesign a solar thermal energy system. Calculate accurate heating demand of the building, calculate accurate domestic hot water demand in order to select the right capacity (kW, litres). Make a detaile...perform a feasibility study on heat pumpsperform a feasibility study on heat pumpsPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a heat pump system. Realise a standardised study to determine costs and restrictions, and conduct research to support the process of decision ...demonstrate disciplinary expertisedemonstrate disciplinary expertiseDemonstrate deep knowledge and complex understanding of a specific research area, including responsible research, research ethics and scientific integrity principles, privacy and GDPR requirements, re...adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.use technical drawing softwareuse technical drawing softwareCreate technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.perform feasibility study on solar heatingperform feasibility study on solar heatingPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of solar heating systems. Realise a standardised study to estimate the heat loss of the building and the heating demand, the demand of domestic h...perform a feasibility study on combined heat and powerperform a feasibility study on combined heat and powerPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of combined heat and power (CHP). Realise a standardised study to determine technical demands, regulation and costs. Estimate the needed electric...manage personal professional developmentmanage personal professional developmentTake responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional developmen...perform a feasibility study on biogas energyperform a feasibility study on biogas energyPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of generating biogas from waste materials. Realise a standardised study to determine the total cost of ownership, and the pros and cons of using ...operate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heatingoperate solar thermal energy systems for hot water and heatingUse solar tube collectors systems to generate and store domestic potable hot water and heating, in order to increase energy performance.perform feasibility study on geothermal energyperform feasibility study on geothermal energyPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a geothermal energy system. Realise a standardised study to determine the costs, restrictions, and available components and conduct research t...supervise gas distribution operationssupervise gas distribution operationsSupervise the activities of a gas distribution facility and the operation of gas distribution systems, such as pipelines, in order to ensure compliance with legislation, efficient operations, and that...perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...perform a feasibility study on biomass systemsperform a feasibility study on biomass systemsPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a biomass installation. Realise a standardised study to determine the costs, restrictions, and available components and conduct research to su...instruct on energy saving technologiesinstruct on energy saving technologiesInstruct the facility manager or similar figures on monitoring parameters, to guarantee that the system achieves the designed energy saving goals.approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Optional (61) — show
energy transformationenergy transformationThe processes undergone by energy when changing its form from one state into the other.electricity consumptionelectricity consumptionThe different factors which are involved in the calculation and estimation of electricity consumption in a residence or facility, and methods in which electricity consumption can be lowered or made mo...transmission towerstransmission towersTypes of tall structures which are used in the transmission and distribution of electrical energy, and which support overhead power lines, such as high voltage AC and high voltage DC transmission towe...gas consumptiongas consumptionThe factors which are involved in the calculation and estimation of gas consumption in a residence or facility, and methods which can reduce the consumption of gas, or make it more efficient.zero-energy building designzero-energy building designThe design and building principle whereby the net amount of energy used by the building equals the amount of renewable energy created by the building itself. The concept refers to self-sustaining cons...design principlesdesign principlesThe elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.energy performance of buildingsenergy performance of buildingsFactors that contribute to lower energy consumption of buildings. Building and renovation techniques used to achieve this. Legislation and procedures regarding energy performance of buildings.combined heat and power generationcombined heat and power generationTechnology that generates electricity and captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted to provide steam or hot water, that can be used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water and industrial...electrical power safety regulationselectrical power safety regulationsThe compliance with safety measures which need to be taken during the installation, operation, and maintenance of constructions and equipment which function in the generation, transmission, and distri...environmental legislationenvironmental legislationThe environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.fuel gasfuel gasThe various qualities, hazards and applications of gaseous fuels, such as oxy-acetylene, oxy-gasoline, oxy-hydrogen and others.types of photovoltaic panelstypes of photovoltaic panelsDifferent types of photovoltaic cells and panels, with different efficiencies in different types of weather, costs, durability and lifespan ratings, and mounting possibilities.fluid mechanicsfluid mechanicsThe characteristics and properties of fluids, including gases, liquids and plasmas, at rest and in motion, and the forces on them.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.environmental engineeringenvironmental engineeringThe application of scientific and engineering theories and principles aimed at improving the environment and sustainability, such as the provision of clean habitation necessities (such as air, water, ...fossil fuelsfossil fuelsThe types of fuels which contain high doses of carbon and include gas, coal, and petroleum, and the processes by which they are formed, such as the anaerobic decomposition of organisms, as well as the...biogas energybiogas energyEnergy production for heating and potable hot water making use of biogas (the biogas is generated off-site), and its contribution to energy performance.electric generatorselectric generatorsThe principles and operations of devices that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, such as dynamos and alternators, rotors, stators, armatures, and fields.heat transfer processesheat transfer processesField of information which distinguishes three types of heat transfers, such as conduction, convection and radiation. These processes set limits to the performance of thermal engineered components and...resource-efficient technologiesresource-efficient technologiesSustainable technologies which allow to produce more value using limited resources while reducing the impact on the environment, restraining the risks of scarcity.alternative fuelsalternative fuelsFuels or power sources that serve, at least partly, as a substitute in the traditional energy supply to transport such as oil and fossil sources. They have the potential to contribute to decarbonisati...district heating and coolingdistrict heating and coolingDistrict heating and cooling exploits local sustainable sources of energy to provide heating and potable hot water to a group of buildings and contributes to improve the energy performance.design biomass installationsdesign biomass installationsDesign the biomass energy system. Determine construction boundaries such as needed space and weight. Calculate indicators such as capacity, flow, and temperatures. Make detailed descriptions and drawi...ensure compliance with environmental legislationensure compliance with environmental legislationMonitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation....conduct engineering site auditsconduct engineering site auditsCollect structural, electrical and related site information by conducting engineering site audits. They are used for the design of engineering solution such as solar power systems.conduct energy auditconduct energy auditAnalyse and evaluate the energy consumption in a systematic manner in order to improve the energy performance.perform risk analysisperform risk analysisIdentify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.design a domotic system in buildingsdesign a domotic system in buildingsDesign a complete domotic system for buildings, taking into account every chosen component. Make a weighting and balancing between which components and systems should be included in domotics and which...analyse energy market trendsanalyse energy market trendsAnalyse data influencing the movement of the energy market, and liaise with the important stakeholders in the energy field in order to make accurate predictions and perform the most beneficial actions...design heat pump installationsdesign heat pump installationsDesign a heat pump system, including calculations of heat loss or transmission, needed capacity, mono- or bivalent, energy balances, and noise reduction.design smart gridsdesign smart gridsDesign and calculate the smart grid system, based on heat load, duration curves, energy simulations etc.provide information on hydrogenprovide information on hydrogenProvide organisations and individuals searching for alternative energy fuels information on costs, benefits, and negative aspects of the use of hydrogen. Inform about what one must take into account w...design solar energy systemsdesign solar energy systemsDevelop design specifications for solar energy systems and their components. Create checklists for the inspection and monitoring of completed solar installation projects.manage gas transmission systemmanage gas transmission systemManage the systems which ensure the transmission of natural gas and gaseous fuels from gas production facilities to gas distribution facilities, through pipelines, ensuring safety of operations and co...mitigate environmental impact of pipeline projectsmitigate environmental impact of pipeline projectsStrive to mitigate the potential impact that pipelines and the goods transported in them can have on the environment. Invest time and resources into consideration of the environmental effects of the p...calculate solar panel orientationcalculate solar panel orientationCalculate the optimal placement of solar panels. Take into account the longitude, seasonal insolation values, the direction of true south, and the placement of any shadow-casting structures in order t...oversee quality controloversee quality controlMonitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.use thermal analysisuse thermal analysisUse software tools such as Icepak, Fluens and FloTHERM as a means to develop and optimize thermal control designs in order to cope with a wide range of difficult problems regarding thermal products an...make electrical calculationsmake electrical calculationsDetermine the type, size and number of pieces of electrical equipment for a given distribution area by making complex electrical calculations. These are made for instruments such as transformers, circ...respond to electrical power contingenciesrespond to electrical power contingenciesSet in motion the strategies created for responding to emergency situations, as well as respond to unforeseen problems, in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power, such as p...ensure compliance with electricity distribution scheduleensure compliance with electricity distribution scheduleMonitor the operations of an electrical energy distribution facility and electricity distribution systems in order to ensure that the distribution goals are met, and the electricity supply demands are...manage engineering projectmanage engineering projectManage engineering project resources, budget, deadlines, and human resources, and plan schedules as well as any technical activities pertinent to the project.supervise electricity distribution operationssupervise electricity distribution operationsSupervise the activities of an electricity distribution facility and the operation of electrical energy distribution systems, such as power lines, in order to ensure compliance with legislation, effic...provide information on wind turbinesprovide information on wind turbinesProvide organisations and individuals searching for alternative energy methods on the cost, benefits, and negative aspects of the installation and use of wind turbines, both residential and common, an...carry out energy management of facilitiescarry out energy management of facilitiesContribute to develop effective strategies for energy management and making sure that these are sustainable for buildings. Review buildings and facilities to identify where improvements can be made in...inspect building systemsinspect building systemsInspect buildings and building systems such as plumbing or electrical systems to confirm compliance with regulations and requirements.promote environmental awarenesspromote environmental awarenessPromote sustainability and raise awareness about the environmental impact of human and industrial activity based on the carbon footprints of business processes and other practices.examine engineering principlesexamine engineering principlesAnalyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.develop strategies for electricity contingenciesdevelop strategies for electricity contingenciesDevelop and implement strategies which ensure that swift and efficient actions can be taken in the event of a disruption in the generation, transmission, or distribution of electrical energy, such as ...identify fitted source for heat pumpsidentify fitted source for heat pumpsDetermine available heat and energy sources choosing among different types of available heat sources, taking into account the influence of source temperature on energy efficiency.create designs for pipeline engineeringcreate designs for pipeline engineeringDesign pipeline infrastructure considering engineering principles. Create blueprints, measure sites, define materials, and present functional proposals for their construction.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.select sustainable technologies in designselect sustainable technologies in designProduce a holistic design, which includes passive measures that are complemented by active technologies in a sensible way.develop energy policydevelop energy policyDevelop and maintain an organisation's strategy regarding its energy performance.execute feasibility study on hydrogenexecute feasibility study on hydrogenPerform the evaluation and assessment of the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Compare costs, technologies and available sources to produce, transport and store hydrogen. Take into account the e...design ventilation networkdesign ventilation networkDraft ventilation network. Prepare and plan the ventilation layout using specialist software. Design heating or cooling systems as required. Improve efficiency of ventilation network to lower energy c...assess environmental impactassess environmental impactMonitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation's environmental risks while taking costs into account.develop electricity distribution scheduledevelop electricity distribution scheduleDevelop plans which outline the timelines and routes for the distribution of electrical energy, taking into account both the current and potential future demands of electrical energy, ensuring that th...design thermal equipmentdesign thermal equipmentConceptually design equipment for healing and cooling using heat transfer principles such as conduction, convection, radiation and combustion. The temperature for these devices should stay stable and ...design geothermal energy systemsdesign geothermal energy systemsDesign in detail a geothermal energy system. Determine construction site boundaries e.g., needed space, area, depth. Make detailed descriptions and drawings of the design.design a building management systemdesign a building management systemDesign the building management system (BMS). Describe the automatization strategies and the demanded functionality. Make a weighting and balancing between which components and systems should be includ...
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
solar energy engineer15 shared essential skillsrenewable energy engineer14 shared essential skillsenergy systems engineer13 shared essential skillsoffshore renewable energy engineer12 shared essential skillsalternative fuels engineer11 shared essential skillsenergy analyst11 shared essential skillsonshore wind energy engineer10 shared essential skillselectric power generation engineer9 shared essential skills
Frequently asked questions
What does an energy engineer do?
Energy engineers design new, efficient and clean ways to produce, transform, and distribute energy to improve environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. They deal with the extraction of energy through natural resources, such as oil or gas, or renewable and sustainable sources, such as wind or solar power.
What skills does an energy engineer need?
An energy engineer needs 42 essential skills, including solar energy, energy market, sustainable technologies, energy, engineering principles.
Will AI replace energy engineer jobs?
The AI disruption score for energy engineer is 26/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: electricity consumption, quality standards, calculate solar panel orientation. Most resilient: energy, electric generators, transmission towers.
AI Replacement Risk
26/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
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