Geothermal engineers research, design, plan and operate processes and equipment that convert thermal energy into electricity or heating and cooling. They use natural heat sources from underground to generate power, to cool in the summer and heat in the winter industrial, commercial and residential buildings. Geothermal engineers develop strategies for more efficient energy production and analyse environmental consequences.
Different ways to extract the thermal energy stored in the earth in order to produce electricity by extracting steam to activate turbines, by extracting hot water and converting it into steam, or by using a binary system that transforms a secondary liquid into steam.
Different tools for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
Field of information concerning the reduction of the use of energy. It encompasses calculating the consumption of energy, providing certificates and support measures, saving energy by reducing the demand, encouraging efficient use of fossil fuels, and promoting the use of renewable energy.
The processes undergone by energy when changing its form from one state into the other.
The tools involved in geographical mapping and positioning, such as GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing).
Geothermal energy refers to the renewable energy derived from heat generated and stored within the Earth. It involves harnessing the naturally occurring heat from the Earth's interior to produce electricity or provide direct heating and cooling for various applications. This energy originates from the radioactive decay of minerals and the residual heat from the Earth's formation. Geothermal energy can be accessed through geothermal power plants or geothermal heat pumps.
Low temperature heating and high temperature cooling, generated by use of geothermal energy, and their contribution to energy performance.
The different steps in the production of electricity from geothermal energy and the function of all the components of the required equipment such as pumps, compressors, heat exchangers and turbines.
Various types of heat pumps, used to produce heating, cooling and potable hot water making use of an energy source with low temperature and bringing it to a higher temperature.
The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.
Flow of electric charge, carried by electrons or ions in a medium such as an electrolyte or a plasma.
The principles and operations of devices that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, such as dynamos and alternators, rotors, stators, armatures, and fields.
The compliance with safety measures which need to be taken during the installation, operation, and maintenance of constructions and equipment which function in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power, such as the appropriate safety gear, equipment handling procedures, and preventive actions.
The principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.
The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
Solid earth, rock types, structures and the processes by which they are altered.
The different types of energy sources which cannot be depleted, such as wind, solar, water, biomass, and biofuel energy. The different technologies used to implement these types of energy to an increasing degree, such as wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, photovoltaics, and concentrated solar power.
Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
The branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.
No competences in this bucket.
Design in detail a geothermal energy system. Determine construction site boundaries e.g., needed space, area, depth. Make detailed descriptions and drawings of the design.
Design a heat pump system, including calculations of heat loss or transmission, needed capacity, mono- or bivalent, energy balances, and noise reduction.
Conceptually design equipment for healing and cooling using heat transfer principles such as conduction, convection, radiation and combustion. The temperature for these devices should stay stable and optimal, since they continually move heat around the system.
Engineer level design requirements for thermal products such as telecom systems. Improve and optimize these designs by using thermal solutions or experimentation and validation techniques.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a heat pump system. Realise a standardised study to determine costs and restrictions, and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a geothermal energy system. Realise a standardised study to determine the costs, restrictions, and available components and conduct research to support the process of decision making. Investigate the best type of system in combination with the available heat pump type.
Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Provide advice on building matters to the various parties involved in construction projects. Bring to their awareness important building considerations and consult on construction budgets.
Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
Use models (descriptive or inferential statistics) and techniques (data mining or machine learning) for statistical analysis and ICT tools to analyse data, uncover correlations and forecast trends.
Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Monitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation's environmental risks while taking costs into account.
Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
Operate devices, machinery, and equipment designed for scientific measurement. Scientific equipment consists of specialised measuring instruments refined to facilitate the acquisition of data.
Carry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.
No competences in this bucket.
Select heating and cooling systems, specifically in relation with the buildings' architectural design and building functions. Discuss the relation between architectural design and selection of heating and cooling systems in a multidisciplinary team.
Communicate the current demand of electricity generation to electricity generation workers and facilities in order to ensure that the generation of electrical power can be increased or decreased accordingly.
Define the energy profile of buildings. This includes identifying the energy demand and supply of the building, and its storage capacity.
Estimate the heating and cooling demands of the building, determine the demands of domestic hot water. Make a hydraulic scheme to fit in the CHP unit with a guaranteed return temperature and acceptable on/off switch numbers.
Design the details of electric heating systems. Calculate the needed capacity for space heating under given conditions complying with available electrical power supply.
Design a district heating and cooling system, including calculations of heat loss and cooling load, determining of capacity, flow, temperatures, hydraulic concepts etc.
Investigate and select the appropriate system according to the heating and cooling generation system. Design and evaluate solutions for different types of rooms and spaces regarding square metres, height, human comfort and occupation, adaptation and control strategies. Design a system taking into account the relation with the heating and cooling generation system.
Develop and implement strategies which ensure that swift and efficient actions can be taken in the event of a disruption in the generation, transmission, or distribution of electrical energy, such as a power outage or sudden increase of demand.
Inspect the land of a possible construction site for distribution facilities by measuring and interpreting various data and calculations by using the appropriate equipment. Check if the field work is conform with plans and specifications.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of combined heat and power (CHP). Realise a standardised study to determine technical demands, regulation and costs. Estimate the needed electrical power and heating demand as well as the heat storage needed in order to determine possibilities of CHP by means of load and load duration curves, and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of electric heating. Realise a standardised study to determine whether the application of electric heating is appropriate under the given condition and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Replicate the building's energy performance by running computer based, mathematical models.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a smart grid within the project. Realise a standardised study to determine the energy saving contribution, costs and restrictions, and conduct research to support the process of decision making. Consider challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of wireless technologies for smart grids.
Make sure that the construction project is carried out in compliance with the building permit, the execution plans, the performance and design specifications, and the relevant regulations.
Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.