Will “Plant Control Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
Unknown Chance of Automation
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Job Description
Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 49-9099.01
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Geothermal Technicians”.
Also Known As…
- Geothermal Technicians
- Operator Technician
- Operations Technician
- Mechanical Technician
- Maintenance Technician
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical Technician (I C & E Technician)
- Instrumentation and Electrical Technician (I & E Technician)
- Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C Technician)
- Control Room Operator (CRO)
- Control Operator
- Pump Technician
- PPO (Power Plant Operator)
- Plant Technician
- Plant Operator
- Plant Mechanic
- Operator
- Operations and Maintenance Technician
- Mechanic
- Ground Source Heat Pump Technician (GSHP Technician)
- Geothermal Technician
- Geothermal System Installer
- Geothermal Installer
- Geothermal HVAC Technician (Geothermal Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Technician)
- Geothermal Field Technician
- Distribution Field Technician
- Corrosion Technician
Tasks for “Plant Control Operator”
- Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
- Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
- Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
- Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.
- Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.
- Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
- Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.
- Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.
- Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
- Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.
- Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
- Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems.
- Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.
- Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.
- Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.
- Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.
- Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
- Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
- Test water sources for factors such as flow volume and contaminant presence.
- Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.
- Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches.
- Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.
- Operate equipment such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).
- Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
Related Technology & Tools
- Wire strippers
- Pipe squeeze off tools
- Adjustable pipe wrenches
- Safety gloves
- Channel lock pliers
- Pavement saws
- Trench compacters
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Straight screwdrivers
- Coil tubing units
- Air monitoring equipment
- Tracked excavators
- Air wrenches
- Wire cutters
- Pipe cutters
- Safety glasses
- Deburring tools
- Desktop computers
- Grout mixers
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Valve wrenches
- Personal computers
- Socket wrench sets
- Claw hammers
- Butt fusion machines
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Well drilling rigs
- Protective respirators
- Alignment clamps
- Portable welding equipment
- Depth meters
- Ratchet sets
- Grout pumps
- Laptop computers
- Pyrometers
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Thermal Dynamics Ground Loop Design GLD
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Email software
- Geothermal Properties Measurement Tool
- ClimateMaster GeoDesigner
- Microsoft Excel
- SAP
- WaterFurnace International Ground Loop Design PREMIER
- Distributed control system DCS