Science & ResearchISCO 2149

Energy systems engineer

Energy systems engineers supervise the energy conversion and distribution processes. They analyse the energy supply and consumption efficiency developing new ways to improve the existing processes, taking into account both the technical and the financial aspects. They also study the environmental impact of energy usage and combine the production of renewable energy in the current power systems.

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Check yourself in a minute: energy systems engineer

Rate 5 of the 31 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

promote sustainable energy

perform scientific research

use technical drawing software

manage engineering project

advise on heating systems energy efficiency

About energy systems engineer

As an energy systems engineer, you will design, analyze, and optimize complex systems that convert, distribute, and manage energy across various scales—from individual buildings to entire regional grids. Your work involves developing innovative solutions to improve energy efficiency while evaluating both technical feasibility and financial viability. You will assess how energy is generated, stored, transmitted, and consumed, continuously seeking ways to reduce losses and costs. Your role increasingly involves integrating renewable energy sources such as solar and wind into existing systems, ensuring reliable and sustainable power supply.

This position requires a strong foundation in engineering principles, systems thinking, and data analysis. You will work with cross-functional teams including architects, electricians, environmental specialists, and financial analysts to deliver comprehensive energy solutions. The energy transition in Poland presents exceptional career opportunities as the country moves toward decarbonization and increased renewable energy adoption. Senior engineers can lead major infrastructure projects, consult for organizations on energy strategies, or advance into management and policy roles.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a energy systems engineer.

Energy System Analysis and Design

Analyze energy supply chains and identify inefficiencies in conversion and distribution processes
Design integrated energy systems that balance generation, storage, and consumption requirements
Develop detailed technical specifications and system configurations using modeling software
Evaluate technical feasibility of proposed energy projects and solutions

Renewable Energy Integration

Assess potential for solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass energy in project locations
Design systems to integrate renewable sources with existing power infrastructure and grid
Optimize energy storage solutions including batteries and thermal storage to manage intermittency

Efficiency Optimization and Improvement

Conduct energy audits to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and cost reduction
Develop strategies to minimize transmission losses and improve system performance
Model and simulate system performance under various operational scenarios and load conditions

Environmental Impact Assessment

Evaluate environmental impacts of energy systems including emissions, resource consumption, and habitat effects
Develop strategies to reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy practices
Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and sustainability standards

Financial and Economic Analysis

Conduct cost-benefit analysis of energy projects and solutions
Develop financial models to assess project viability and return on investment
Evaluate operating costs and identify opportunities for economic optimization

Do You Have the Skills for This Role?

Core competency requirements inferred from the occupation's skill profile. Take the free assessment to see how you match.

Must-Have Skills (Advanced)

Problem SolvingAdvanced

Supporting Skills

Digital FluencyIntermediate

Transdisciplinary ThinkingIntermediate

Self ManagementIntermediate

Check your gaps

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (31)

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.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.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...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...technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.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 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, ...state estimationstate estimationThe process of fusing input data measurements and a mathematical model to determine the internal state of an energy system.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...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, ...perform scientific researchperform scientific researchGain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.use technical drawing softwareuse technical drawing softwareCreate technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.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.advise on heating systems energy efficiencyadvise on heating systems energy efficiencyProvide information and advice to clients on how to preserve an energy efficient heating system in their home or office and possible alternatives.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 innovative infrastructure designpromote innovative infrastructure designThroughout the coordination of an engineering project, promote the development of infrastructure that is innovative and sustainable, in line with the latest developments in the field.draw blueprintsdraw blueprintsDraw layout specifications for machinery, equipment and building structures. Specify which materials should be used and the size of the components. Show different angles and views of the product.adapt energy distribution schedulesadapt energy distribution schedulesMonitor the procedures involved in the distribution of energy in order to assess whether energy supply must be increased or decreased depending on changes in demand, and incorporate these changes into...design electric power systemsdesign electric power systemsConstruct generation plants, distribution stations and systems and transmission lines to get energy and new technology where it needs to go. Use high tech equipment, research, maintenance and repair t...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.troubleshoottroubleshootIdentify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.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...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...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.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.identify energy needsidentify energy needsIdentify the type and amount of energy supply necessary in a building or facility, in order to provide the most beneficial, sustainable, and cost-effective energy services for a consumer.approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.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.

Optional (56) — show

business intelligencebusiness intelligenceThe tools used to transform large amounts of raw data into relevant and helpful business information.data miningdata miningThe methods of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics and databases used to extract content from a dataset.visual presentation techniquesvisual presentation techniquesThe visual representation and interaction techniques, such as histograms, scatter plots, surface plots, tree maps and parallel coordinate plots, that can be used to present abstract numerical and non-...geothermal energy systemsgeothermal energy systemsLow temperature heating and high temperature cooling, generated by use of geothermal energy, and their contribution to energy performance.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.information extractioninformation extractionThe techniques and methods used for eliciting and extracting information from unstructured or semi-structured digital documents and sources.fuel distribution systemsfuel distribution systemsThe characteristics of fuel distribution systems and components such as pipeline systems, valves, pumps, filters, and fuel monitors.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...thermodynamicsthermodynamicsThe branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.data analyticsdata analyticsThe science of analysing and making decisions based on raw data collected from various sources. Includes knowledge of techniques using algorithms that derive insights or trends from that data to suppo...mechanical engineeringmechanical engineeringDiscipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.data storagedata storageThe physical and technical concepts of how digital data storage is organised in specific schemes both locally, such as hard-drives and random-access memories (RAM) and remotely, via network, internet ...heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration partsheating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration partsThe different parts constituing heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems such as the different valves, fans, compressors, condensers, filters and other components.statistical analysis system softwarestatistical analysis system softwareSpecific software system (SAS) used for advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management, and predictive analytics.cloud technologiescloud technologiesThe technologies which enable access to hardware, software, data and services through remote servers and software networks irrespective of their location and architecture.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.unstructured dataunstructured dataThe information that is not arranged in a pre-defined manner or does not have a pre-defined data model and is difficult to understand and find patterns in without using techniques such as data mining.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...power engineeringpower engineeringSubdiscipline of energy and electrical engineering which specialises in the generation, transmission, distribution, and usage of electrical power through the connection of electrical devices to motors...photovoltaic systemsphotovoltaic systemsSystems that convert a renewable source as the sun into electrical energy. Based in the energy conversion chain, photovoltaic systems could be divided into three types: grid direct PV systems, grid-in...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.perform a feasibility study for building management systemsperform a feasibility study for building management systemsPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a building management system. Realise a standardised study to determine the energy saving contribution, costs and restrictions, and conduct re...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.perform a feasibility study on district heating and coolingperform a feasibility study on district heating and coolingPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of district heating and cooling system. Realise a standardised study to determine the costs, restrictions, and the demand for heating and cooling...determine internal air quality parametersdetermine internal air quality parametersApply the knowledge of essential indoor environmental quality parameters to select the most appropriate ones for the Building Management System (BMS).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 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.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 ...integrate biogas energy in buildingsintegrate biogas energy in buildingsDesign and calculate installations for heating and potable hot water (PWH) making use of biogas.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.perform data miningperform data miningExplore large datasets to reveal patterns using statistics, database systems or artificial intelligence and present the information in a comprehensible way.analyse big dataanalyse big dataCollect and evaluate numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of identifying patterns between the data.inspect facility sitesinspect facility sitesInspect the land of a possible construction site for distribution facilities by measuring and interpreting various data and calculations by using the appropriate equipment. Check if the field work is ...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.define energy profilesdefine energy profilesDefine the energy profile of buildings. This includes identifying the energy demand and supply of the building, and its storage capacity.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.design district heating and cooling energy systemsdesign district heating and cooling energy systemsDesign a district heating and cooling system, including calculations of heat loss and cooling load, determining of capacity, flow, temperatures, hydraulic concepts etc.wear appropriate protective gearwear appropriate protective gearWear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.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...utilise machine learningutilise machine learningUse techniques and algorithms that are able to extract mastery out of data, learn from it and make predictions, to be used for program optimisation, application adaptation, pattern recognition, filter...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.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.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 ...use specific data analysis softwareuse specific data analysis softwareUse specific software for data analysis, including statistics, spreadsheets, and databases. Explore possibilities in order to make reports to managers, superiors, or clients.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...design passive energy measuresdesign passive energy measuresDesign systems that achieve energy performance using passive measures (i.e. natural light and ventilation, control of solar gains), are less prone to failures and without maintenance costs and require...utilise decision support systemutilise decision support systemUse the available ICT systems that can be used to support business or organisational decision making.assess financial viabilityassess financial viabilityRevise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Asse...perform smart grid feasibility studyperform smart grid feasibility studyPerform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a smart grid within the project. Realise a standardised study to determine the energy saving contribution, costs and restrictions, and conduct...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.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...perform energy simulationsperform energy simulationsReplicate the building's energy performance by running computer based, mathematical models.information structureinformation structureThe type of infrastructure which defines the format of data: semi-structured, unstructured and structured.analyse test dataanalyse test dataInterpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.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.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an energy systems engineer do?

What skills does an energy systems engineer need?

An energy systems engineer needs 31 essential skills, including solar energy, energy market, energy, electricity consumption, energy performance of buildings.

Will AI replace energy systems engineer jobs?

The AI disruption score for energy systems engineer is 28/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: electricity consumption, information extraction, perform data mining. Most resilient: energy, energy micro-generation technologies, wear appropriate protective gear.