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Wind Energy Engineers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Design underground or overhead wind farm collector systems and prepare and develop site specifications.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $55K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $75K
Median Salary: $103K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $134K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $166K
Demand
Core Tasks
Create or maintain wind farm layouts, schematics, or other visual documentation for wind farms.
Provide engineering technical support to designers of prototype wind turbines.
Recommend process or infrastructure changes to improve wind turbine performance, reduce operational costs, or comply with regulations.
Investigate experimental wind turbines or wind turbine technologies for properties such as aerodynamics, production, noise, and load.
Create models to optimize the layout of wind farm access roads, crane pads, crane paths, collection systems, substations, switchyards, or transmission lines.
Develop active control algorithms, electronics, software, electromechanical, or electrohydraulic systems for wind turbines.
Develop specifications for wind technology components, such as gearboxes, blades, generators, frequency converters, or pad transformers.
Test wind turbine components, using mechanical or electronic testing equipment.
Oversee the work activities of wind farm consultants or subcontractors.
Test wind turbine equipment to determine effects of stress or fatigue.
Monitor wind farm construction to ensure compliance with regulatory standards or environmental requirements.
Direct balance of plant (BOP) construction, generator installation, testing, commissioning, or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to ensure compliance with specifications.
Analyze operation of wind farms or wind farm components to determine reliability, performance, and compliance with specifications.
Perform root cause analysis on wind turbine tower component failures.
Design underground or overhead wind farm collector systems.
Write reports to document wind farm collector system test results.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Engineering and Technology
97%
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design
88%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics
88%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics
85%
Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
English Language
83%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics
81%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
72%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
68%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Building and Construction
67%
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mechanical
66%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Top 10 Skills
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making
70%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics
70%
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Active Listening
68%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving
68%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking
68%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis
68%
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Writing
68%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Operations Analysis
65%
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Top 10 Abilities
Deductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Mathematical Reasoning
75%
The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Written Comprehension
75%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Number Facility
70%
The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Comprehension
68%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
68%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
68%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written Expression
68%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
65%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Top 10 Work Activities
Interacting With Computers
96%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information
85%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
82%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information
80%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
79%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Analyzing Data or Information
78%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
78%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Documenting/Recording Information
77%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others
76%
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
76%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
Document design or operational test results.
Direct energy production or management activities.
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
Research design or application of green technologies.
Test green technologies or processes.
Provide technical guidance to other personnel.
Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
Determine design criteria or specifications.
Design energy production or management equipment or systems.
Create graphical representations of energy production systems.
Evaluate the characteristics of green technologies.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Education
Majors based on the broader career Engineers, All Other
Major
Interests
Realistic
86%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
62%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
58%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
48%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic
29%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social
19%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Analytical Thinking
93%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
91%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
88%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Dependability
88%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
88%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
88%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
86%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Stress Tolerance
86%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Achievement/Effort
85%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Cooperation
85%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Work Values
Achievement
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
