What skills does a power distribution engineer need?

A power distribution engineer needs 28 essential skills including energy market, energy, engineering principles, electricity consumption, electrical engineering. Core competencies include .

Will AI replace power distribution engineer jobs?

The AI disruption score for power distribution engineer is 59/100 (high risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Science & ResearchScience and engineering professionalsISCO 2151

power distribution engineer

Power distribution engineers design and operate facilities which distribute power from the distribution facility to the consumers. They research methods for the optimisation of power distribution, and ensure the consumers' needs are met. They also ensure compliance to safety regulations by monitoring the automated processes in plants and directing workflow.

European Skills Framework

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

Essential (28)

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.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.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...electrical engineeringelectrical engineeringThe field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.electrical dischargeelectrical dischargeThe qualities and applications of electrical discharge, including voltage and electrodes.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...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...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...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....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 ...inspect overhead power linesinspect overhead power linesInspect the structures used in the transmission and distribution of electrical energy, such as the conductors, towers, and poles, to identify damage and need for repairs, and ensure routine maintenanc...ensure compliance with safety legislationensure compliance with safety legislationImplement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.ensure safety in electrical power operationsensure safety in electrical power operationsMonitor and control operations on an electrical power transmission and distribution system in order to ensure that major risks are controlled and prevented, such as electrocution risks, damage to prop...design smart gridsdesign smart gridsDesign and calculate the smart grid system, based on heat load, duration curves, energy simulations etc.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.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...identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.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...inspect underground power cablesinspect underground power cablesInspect the underground power cables during installation or repair activities in order to identify faults and assess the extent of damage or need for repairs, and to ensure they are correctly installe...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...change power distribution systemschange power distribution systemsReview procedures, schedules and databases to identify and recommend changes in existing power distribution systems in order to meet operational requirements and regulations.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...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...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...approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.

Optional (62)

information structureinformation structureThe type of infrastructure which defines the format of data: semi-structured, unstructured and structured.marine engineeringmarine engineeringThe engineering discipline that studies the design, operation and maintenance of watercraft propulsion and on-board systems. It also addresses the design and construction of fixed and floating marine ...battery fluidsbattery fluidsThe characteristics and properties of battery fluids.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.chemical productschemical productsThe offered chemical products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.innovation processesinnovation processesThe techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.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-...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...wire harnesseswire harnessesAssemblies of wires or cables that are bound together by cable ties, tape, or lacing, and are able to transfer signals or electricity. Through binding the wires together, the wires are better protecte...electricity marketelectricity marketThe trends and major driving factors in the electricity trading market, electricity trades methodologies and practice, and the identification of the major stakeholders in the electricity sector.hydroelectricityhydroelectricityThe generation of electrical power through the usage of hydropower, which uses gravitational force of moving water, and the benefits and negative aspects of using hydropower as a renewable source of e...hydraulicshydraulicsThe power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.information extractioninformation extractionThe techniques and methods used for eliciting and extracting information from unstructured or semi-structured digital documents and sources.sensorssensorsSensors are transducers that can detect or sense characteristics in their environment. They detect changes in the apparatus or environment and provide a corresponding optical or electrical signal. Sen...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...fuel gasfuel gasThe various qualities, hazards and applications of gaseous fuels, such as oxy-acetylene, oxy-gasoline, oxy-hydrogen and others.battery chemistrybattery chemistryThe different battery types according to the representative chemical components used in the anode or the cathode such as zinc-carbon, nickel-metal hydride, lead-acid, or lithium-ion.battery componentsbattery componentsThe physical components, such as wiring, electronics and voltaic cells that can be found in batteries. The components vary according to size and type of battery.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...data mining methodsdata mining methodsData mining techniques used to determine and analyse the relationship between different elements of economy and marketing.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 ...offshore renewable energy technologiesoffshore renewable energy technologiesThe different technologies used to implement the marine renewable energy to an increasing degree, such as wind, wave and tidal turbines, floating photovoltaics, hydrocratic generators and ocean therma...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.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.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...test procedures in electricity transmissiontest procedures in electricity transmissionPerform tests on powerlines and cables, as well as other equipment used for the transmission of electrical power, in order to ensure the cables are well insulated, the voltage can be controlled well, ...research ocean energy projectsresearch ocean energy projectsConduct wave and tidal energy project research and develop the projects from concept to delivery.perform data analysisperform data analysisCollect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.troubleshoottroubleshootIdentify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.assemble sensorsassemble sensorsMount chips on a sensor substrate and attach them using soldering or wafer bumping techniques.maintain electrical equipmentmaintain electrical equipmentTest electrical equipment for malfunctions. Take safety measures, company guidelines, and legislation concerning electrical equipment into account. Clean, repair and replace parts and connections as r...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.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.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 ...use remote control equipmentuse remote control equipmentUse a remote control to operate equipment. Watch the equipment closely while operating, and use any sensors or cameras to guide your actions.maintain sensor equipmentmaintain sensor equipmentDiagnose and detect malfunctions in sensor components, systems, and products using sensors and remove, replace, or repair these components when necessary. Execute preventative equipment maintenance ta...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...test sensorstest sensorsTest sensors using appropriate equipment. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.install hydraulic systemsinstall hydraulic systemsInstall systems and components that use liquid fluid power to create mechanical movements such as hydraulic pumps, valves, hydraulic motors, hydraulic cylinders and other elements that power hydraulic...repair battery componentsrepair battery componentsRepair battery components through replacing cells, repairing wiring, or spot-welding cells.manage workflow processesmanage workflow processesDevelop, document and implement traffic and workflow processes across the company for different functions. Liaise with several departments and services such as account management and the creative dire...operate battery test equipmentoperate battery test equipmentOperate equipment used for battery testing, such as a soldering iron, a battery tester, or a multimeter. Detect flaws affecting the battery's performance, test the battery's capacity for accumulating ...analyse test dataanalyse test dataInterpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.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...maintain hydraulic systemsmaintain hydraulic systemsPerform routine maintenance and repairs on systems which use pressurised fluids to provide power to machines and equipment.execute software testsexecute software testsPerform tests to ensure that a software product will perform flawlessly under the specified customer requirements and identify software defects (bugs) and malfunctions, using specialised software tool...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 ...adjust voltageadjust voltageAdjust voltage in electrical equipment.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...operate hydraulic pumpsoperate hydraulic pumpsOperate hydraulic pumping systems.use CAD softwareuse CAD softwareUse computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.operate hydraulic machinery controlsoperate hydraulic machinery controlsUse correctly the controls of specialized machinery by turning valves, handwheels, or rheostats to move and control flow of fuels, water, and dry or liquid binders to machines.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...coordinate communication within a teamcoordinate communication within a teamCollect contact info for all team members and decide on modes of communication.operate hydrogen extraction equipmentoperate hydrogen extraction equipmentOperate the equipment used in hydrogen extraction and processing.collaborate with designerscollaborate with designersCommunicate and collaborate with fellow designers in order to coordinate new products and designs.utilise decision support systemutilise decision support systemUse the available ICT systems that can be used to support business or organisational decision making.monitor electric generatorsmonitor electric generatorsMonitor the operation of electric generators in power stations in order to ensure functionality and safety, and to identify need for repairs and maintenance.