Solar Engineer, C&I and DG – Hybrid – Connecticut

Hiring Company Overview:

Join a specialized infrastructure private equity firm that is integrated across the lifecycle of distributed energy and C&I solar projects in the U.S. and Europe.  With a portfolio spanning 16 states and two European countries, it has over 800MW of projects under construction or operational in its portfolio, a pipeline of 4+ GW of new projects, and has deployed over $1.2 billion of capital since inception.

This firm invests and develops greenfield and brownfield solar projects (pre-NTP) at the DG and C&I levels through partner developers or corporate partners including ground mounted, rooftop, and carport solar.  Using an outsourced EPC, it completes construction of projects and then holds projects until an optimal time to exit.

Position Overview:

As the Solar Engineer, you will be responsible for supporting new and existing projects.  For new projects, conduct feasibility studies for new projects, conduct technical due diligence for acquisitions, design C&I and distributed generation solar projects, and prepare scope of work and technical specifications for RFP (request for proposal) packages.

During project construction, you will accompany the Head of Engineering to project sites to check the progress and status of projects, serving as the owner’s eyes & ears on the ground.  You will interface with third-party EPCs, consultants, and other participants/stakeholders in project development.

Job location: Hybrid – in office Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Westport, CT area

Reporting: Head of Engineering – you will work hand-in-hand with this expert who has been with the company over 10 years and has 15+ experience in the field.  Great mentor!

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare conceptual layouts to optimize energy production for each site including P50 figures
• Later in the process, prepare detailed conceptual layouts
• Conduct feasibility studies to assess the location, topography, shading, geotechnical data, costs at the location, proximity of interconnection points and substations, site configuration, and other considerations or potential risks
• Review technical due diligence information from third parties and be able to explain technical concepts and risks to non-engineer members of the team such as business developers, project finance, and legal
• Also, coordinate and collaborate with other internal team members such as procurement, contracting, and DD (due diligence) through the project lifecycle
• Respond to RFIs (requests for information) in response to your RFPs and collaborate with bidders to generate the best project outcomes
• Review technical documents such as EPC contracts, studies, bills of material, and material specifications and warranties
• Review and accept Issued for Permit (IFP) designs and Issued for Construction (IFC)/execution designs
• Ensure designs comply with national and local electrical codes and good design practices
• As needed, propose modifications in order to optimize project returns via change in design, change in materials to reduce cost, change in materials to improve power output, change in installation methods, or other performance improvement measures
• Reach out to utility companies, electric co-ops, or other authorities involved on an as needed basis to understand requirements for interconnection or other clarifying information as needed
• Ability to work independently as this role will only be in the office 3 days per week and will include off-site travel on a regular basis

Requirements:

• Likely 8-10+ years overall work experience with 4+ years of PV electrical design experience using tools such as PVSyst, HelioScope, and/or AutoCAD
• At least a bachelor’s degree in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or other)
• Medium voltage engineering experience
• Willing to travel one day weekly, not always overnight.  Most project sites are in the Northeast and within driving distance or train distance of the headquarters

Other:

• NABCEP Associates PV Certification a plus
• Procore experience a plus
• Knowledge of electrical codes, especially in New York is a plus
• Solar experience is a plus

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