Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar

Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Systems Analysis
Speaking

Key knowledge

Engineering and Technology
Mathematics
Mechanical
Building and Construction
Design
English Language
Customer and Personal Service
Physics

What the work involves

Perform energy modeling, measurement, verification, commissioning, or retro-commissioning.
Inspect or monitor energy systems, including heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or daylighting systems to determine energy use or potential energy savings.
Manage the development, design, or construction of energy conservation projects to ensure acceptability of budgets and time lines, conformance to federal and state laws, or adherence to approved specifications.
Monitor and analyze energy consumption.
Promote awareness or use of alternative or renewable energy sources.
Analyze, interpret, or create graphical representations of energy data, using engineering software.
Train personnel or clients on topics such as energy management.
Write or install energy management routines for building automation systems.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (65% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (25%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (45%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 17-2199 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Lower on contact with others than 57% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 71% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 67% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 67% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 72% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 85% of occupations compared	47% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Moderate	Lower on consequence of error than 59% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: moderate

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions