Utility scale solar PV. Owner’s SME and commissioning leadership.
Location: project based, on site. Engagement: long term contract. Travel: assignment based.
About the role
A specialty energy services partner supporting owners, developers and EPCs is hiring a Solar Commissioning Manager for long term contract work on utility scale photovoltaic projects.
This is owner’s SME commissioning leadership, not array production and not a technician seat. You own the commissioning plan, test program, vendor schedule, SCADA and availability checks, and turnover from mechanical completion through energization and COD.
Construction stays with the Solar Construction Manager. HV substation commissioning is a separate package. You coordinate those interfaces.
Key responsibilities
- Develop and execute the solar commissioning plan, procedures, ITPs and schedule from mechanical completion through energization and COD.
- Lead mechanical completion walkdowns and construction to commissioning turnover across DC, inverters, MV collection, met stations and trackers.
- Own the test program: polarity and VOC, IV curve tracing, insulation resistance, thermography, grounding, string and combiner verification, and inverter pre-functional and functional tests.
- Coordinate inverter and tracker OEM advisors, EPC commissioning technicians, SCADA integrators, third party testers and owner stakeholders.
- Lead inverter start up sequences, MV collection readiness checks, and the interface to the POI and substation fence.
- Verify SCADA and HMI functionality, meteorological stations, metering, and availability and performance reporting against spec.
- Drive GIA, ISO and PPA test readiness, test energy coordination, AVR, AGC and plant controller checks, and performance ratio and capacity tests.
- Manage LOTO, switching and energization hold points; enforce NFPA 70E and site electrical safety.
- Troubleshoot DC faults, inverter faults, tracker communications, MV issues and SCADA point to point problems.
- Review one-lines, as-builts, inverter and tracker OEM manuals, and Cx specs; close issues that block testing.
- Maintain Cx deliverables: plans, completed ITPs, test data packages, as-left settings, punch lists, owner training and turnover packages.
- Provide daily direction and mentorship of solar commissioning technicians; report status, risks and hold point slips.
Required qualifications
- 7+ years electrical commissioning or startup experience, with 3+ years on utility scale solar PV commissioning.
- Proven leadership of IV, IR and string testing programs and inverter commissioning through start up.
- Working knowledge of NEC, NFPA 70E, IEEE, NETA practice, and utility scale PV system behavior (DC up to 1,500 VDC).
- Ability to read one-lines, string maps, inverter and tracker OEM manuals, and SCADA point lists.
- OSHA 30 and NFPA 70E.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to remain on site for the duration of a long term contract.
- Authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred qualifications
- Owner’s representative or owner’s SME commissioning background.
- Inverter OEM commissioning experience (SMA, Power Electronics, Sungrow, TMEIC, CPS or similar).
- SCADA availability testing and PPA, GIA and ISO test coordination.
- Hybrid solar plus storage interface experience.
- NABCEP PVIP; PE a plus.
- P6, Bluebeam and standard document control tools.
The contract
- Type: long term contract through Verde Solutions, with weekly invoicing and time and expenses handled through our contractor app.
- Location: project based, on site, with assignment based travel.
- Rate: up to $85 per hour, depending on experience.
- Start: as soon as possible.
To apply, send your CV using the form below. We reply to every application and we never send your CV to a client without asking you first.