Performance Engineer

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AES Clean Energy is seeking an experienced Performance Engineer to support engineering, construction and operations teams by analyzing the performance characteristics of photovoltaic and battery storage projects in construction, commissioning and operation.

The Performance Engineer will be responsible for bridging the gap between projects in construction, and projects in long-term operation by analyzing production data, identifying commissioning problems such as failed sensors or incorrect SCADA calculations, running standard performance tests such as ASTM E2848, battery capacity testing and assisting the operations team in troubleshooting.

The Project Performance Engineer supports a larger development and execution project team and serves as the subject matter expert for technical and engineering matters and data science/analytics requests related to the operation of photovoltaic plants and grid-scale battery storage systems. Excellent communication, task management and planning skills needed, in addition to technical breadth.

The successful candidate will have a depth of experience in the operation and analysis of photovoltaic and energy storage systems, including a thorough understanding of photovoltaic plant physics, Li-ion electrochemistry, interconnection standards, SCADA and networking systems. Experience with PV systems and battery systems ranging from 5 MW to 600 MW is preferable.

While performance analysis is the primary qualification, the role will require the review of information related to all practical elements of photovoltaic and battery system design. The successful applicant, while not an expert, will be comfortable with high-level review of all elements of practical system design.

The position is in Louisville, CO, and may include up to 30% travel to project locations and partner offices. Full time remote work is possible for a candidate of sufficient experience.

Key Responsibilities

Project Execution and Operation

• Test newly commissioned SCADA systems for completeness and accuracy

• Perform "big data" analysis to identify major sources of project underperformance

• Perform or review capacity and performance tests for projects in construction (PV, BESS & PV BESS)

• Troubleshoot systems in operation and review system performance data to identify performance problems*Work closely with project engineers to manage project timelines

Project Development

• Review production estimates and meteorological data sources for accuracy by comparing to operational systems

Engineering Support

• Collaborate with operations team to troubleshoot existing projects and develop repair and remediation plans

• Design solutions for repairs and modifications to systems, and "close the gap" between various AES subcontractors and vendors where needed

Growth and Leadership

• Improve and develop processes for the execution of safe, quality and high-performance projects

• Mentor and educate team on changing trends in technology, best practices and safety

• Participate in AES growth planning process by contributing to process improvement task forces and other strategic planning activities

Primary Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Engineering or equivalent technical field

• 3 years professional experience in performance engineering and testing of complex generation systems, preferably PV BESS

• Experience with "beyond Excel" data analysis systems such as scientific python, SAS, R, Julia, Domino Datalab or comparable solutions for analysis of complex datasets

• Proficiency with SCADA systems (Bluence/EtaPRO/OSI PI), network design and advanced analysis tools

• Field experience on photovoltaic or battery storage projects, including troubleshooting, quality evaluation, and construction support

"Plus" Qualifications

• PE qualifications, or on track to become qualified

• Six Sigma Certification

• 3 years of experience with PV and Battery Energy Storage System design and interconnection

• Experience with microgrids or grid forming technologies

• Spanish language skills

• OSHA 10-hr or comparable job-site safety certification

• Ability to work on different time zones, particularly HI, for 25% of the time

• Experience with development of ML/AI algorithms for underperformance detection

Safety comes first at AES. To protect the health and safety of our people, customers, communities and partners, and to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, AES requires all newly-hired people or current AES people applying for U.S.-based role(s), to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be willing to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by their date of hire. Except where prohibited by law or not specifically covered in a collective bargaining agreement, new hires and transfers will be required to provide proof of vaccination during onboarding and periodically thereafter. This policy will comply with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities, as applicable.