Job Details
Sector(s)
Operations & Maintenance
Median Pay
$94,790 per year
$45.57 per hour
Job Type
Mid-Level
Typical Entry-Level
Education and Work
Experience
Requirements
High school diploma or equivalent required; several years of extensive on-the-job training
Alternate Titles
System operator.
Brief Job Description
Marine energy array operators control and maintain electricity generation equipment within the array and regulate the flow of electricity out of the plant.
Education and Training Level Description
Marine energy plant operators typically need a high school diploma or equivalent in addition to extensive training. This training often takes the form of apprenticeship programs or several years of on-the-job training. Some employers prefer a college, associate's, vocational, or technical degree in a related engineering field, and operators and dispatchers often begin their careers as mechanical or electrical technicians.
Operators can advance to shift supervisors, trainers, or consultants through higher levels of training, experience, and education.
Job Profile
Marine energy arrays do not yet contribute to power to the energy grid; however, as marine energy array technologies become more developed, operators will need to be employed to monitor and dispatch electricity produced by the array to the grid. Operators use control boards from the array or remote, onshore locations to monitor and distribute the power output of one or more different array generation components in order to meet consumer demand for electricity. Additionally, operators monitor operational data and notifications reported by instruments on array components. Information provided by these instruments allows the operator to maintain specified voltage and electricity flows exiting the plant and allows the operator to identify equipment operating problems.
In the case of an unforeseen event or emergency, operators are responsible for regulating real-time operations based on experience and learned procedure. They also control the flow of electricity exiting the array according to the specifications determined by the transmission operator.
Marine energy array operators typically:
- Read charts, meters, and gauges to monitor voltage and electricity flows
- Check equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems
- Adjust controls to regulate the flow of power
- Curtail energy generation from components of the array as required by the transmission operator.
Job Skills
Marine energy array operators typically need:
- Concentration skills. Power plant operators must be careful, attentive, and persistent. They must be able to concentrate on a task, such as monitoring the output of generators over a certain length of time, without being distracted.
- Communication skills. Power plant operators must be able to take complicated directions and provide operational feedback, such as the status of plant equipment as a result of implemented changes, to outside parties, including transmission operators and reservoir operation specialists.
- To be detail oriented. Power plant operators must monitor complex controls and intricate machinery to ensure that everything is operating properly.
- Dexterity. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must use precise and repeated motions when working in a control room.
- Mechanical skills. Power plant operators must know how to work with machines and use tools. They must be familiar with how to operate, repair, and maintain equipment.
- Problem-solving skills. Power plant operators must find and quickly identify problems that arise with equipment or controls.
More Information, Job Opportunities, etc.
For more information on power plant operator, distributor, and dispatcher jobs, see: