Senior Solar Racking and Tracker Structural Engineer

Local Unit & Position Description

Do you want to be part of the world’s leading energy consulting firm?

Are you committed to address climate change and positively impact society and the world?

Do you enjoy collaborating with colleagues and clients, and thrive in a dynamic and respectful environment?

Would you like to influence the solar industry and have the opportunity to grow as a thought leader?

Then an engineering position on our Solar Independent Engineering and Technology Team is a great fit for you!

DNV – Energy’s Renewables Advisory and Power Grids group is seeking a Senior Solar Racking and Tracker Structural Engineer to join our Solar Independent Engineering (IE) and Technology team. DNV is the world’s leading renewable energy consultant, and our respected staff are viewed as experts and thought leaders in the industry. DNV’s Solar IE and Technology team holds a substantial market position in North America as a leading provider of independent engineering services to support the financing and construction of solar energy projects.

In this role, our team provides technical consulting and due diligence on behalf of project developers, financial institutions, and investors who rely on our reports in making investment and risk assessment decisions. This solar technology team also takes a leading role in conference participation, participation in codes/standards committees, and in establishing internal and industry guidance on assessing technology risk for our teams in North America and globally. This is a high-performing, innovative team that strives for equity, respect, and diversity.

As a member of the Solar Technology team, the successful candidate will be a thought leader at DNV in the field of racking and tracker technology, testing and operations, and will provide technical advisory and other consulting services associated with mounting systems used in solar projects. The work will include technical due diligence of solar PV trackers and mounting systems for use in pre-construction, construction and operational projects on behalf of lenders and investors. This position will also provide technical support and advisory services to project developers and product manufacturers, including bankability studies, failure analyses, and support for RFPs and technical specifications. The role will include working with product manufacturers to opine on product design and expected reliability, and managing relationships with applicable manufacturers and other stakeholders.

Performing technical reviews requires the ability to assess detailed aspects of PV racking and tracker design including wind, seismic, and snow loading considerations, drive systems, control systems and tracking algorithms. The technical review will include evaluation with respect to relevant codes and standards. The successful candidate should be familiar with the major suppliers of PV mounting systems and with the primary technical differences between products and market segments.

What You'll Do

• Review of design drawings, calculations, and site specific studies for photovoltaic (PV) solar array foundations, fixed-tilt and tracking PV structures to support project financing of utility scale and distributed generation PV projects
• Provide technical expertise concerning the design, manufacturing, testing, and/or modeling of solar PV racking and/or trackers via technical reports, presentations, and correspondence.
• Employ excellent English-language written and verbal communications skills to provide technical advice to customers including commenting on design, reliability, and cost aspects of solar PV trackers and mounting systems, and reviewing and commenting on engineering documentation relating to:
  • Materials specifications and impact on expected performance and reliability
  • Structural, civil and mechanical details
  • Wind loading, including static and dynamic response
  • Wind tunnel testing
  • Reliability testing
  • Regulatory compliance (UL 2703/3703, IEC 62817, AHJ approvals etc.)
• Independent evaluation and root cause analyses of PV racking structural failures.
• Review design criteria for Snow, Wind, Seismic in accordance to IBC, ASCE 7, and AISC.
• Conduct due diligence on structural modelling calculations that have been conducted to determine different solar tracker components including piles/post, torque tube, and module rail support.
• Relate the results of the tracker and mounting system review to broader technical due diligence scopes by making recommendations regarding commercial and technical risk mitigation and financial model assumptions for investors, lenders, developers and owners in a relatable manner.
• Proposal preparation for Solar Racking Technology Assessment and other solar services.
• Project management of small to medium projects.
• Work with a geographically diverse team, within North America and internationally as well as on self-directed independent projects.
• Provide thought leadership to clients and industry stakeholders via webinars, white papers, conference attendance, trainings and blogs
• Conduct occasional site or factory visits, including climbing ladders for roof-mounted solar installations, and carrying equipment for short durations.

Position Qualifications

What is Required

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in structural engineering.
• Minimum 5 years of structural engineering design including at least 2 years of design and/or research experience of solar tracker and structural support systems such as pile foundations.
• Ability to independently review PV structural design drawings and calculations and perform parallel calculations as required to evaluate trackers for compliance with applicable codes, standards and industry practices.
• Familiarity with materials specifications and impact on expected performance and reliability.
• Knowledge of typical equipment technical specifications and common failure modes of roof and/or ground-mounted, fixed and/or tracking PV mounting systems.
• Working understanding of tracking system algorithms including backtracking and optimized tracking.
• Willingness and ability to pass a background investigation and drug test if required.
• Strong verbal and written English communication skills

What is Preferred

• A graduate degree in structural engineering.
• Licensure in multiple states.
• Structural Engineer (S.E.) License (NCEES SE Exam compliant).
• Experience with drive systems or mechanical design of tracker systems.
• Familiarity with design standards, load calculations, and test reports used in the PV industry.
• Familiarity designing or evaluating products for compliance with UL 1703, UL 2703, UL 3703, IEC 62817, SEAOC PV-2, ASCE 7.
• Familiarity reviewing wind tunnel test reports, static and dynamic load calculations and application of dynamic amplification factors.
• Familiarity with R, python or other programming languages.
• General PV system design and factors that impact safety, and performance.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically (10%) and/or internationally (5%).

*Immigration-related employment benefits, for example visa sponsorship, are not available for this position*

What We Offer

• Generous paid time off (vacation, sick days, company holidays, personal days)
• Multiple Medical and Dental benefit plans to choose from, Vision benefits
• Spending accounts – FSA, Dependent Care, Commuter Benefits, company-seeded HSA
• Special programs – Employee Assistance Program, ID theft protection, and accident and critical illness options for you and your family
• Employer-paid, therapist-led, virtual care services through Talkspace
• 401(k) with company match
• Company provided life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability benefits
• Tuition assistance
• Flexible work schedule with hybrid/remote opportunities
• Advancement opportunities

**Benefits may vary based on position, tenure, location, and employee election

How We Do It
We Care, We Dare, We Share

DNV is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit or business need, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

DNV is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity, including providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with a disability. US applicants with a physical or mental disability who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process may contact the North America Recruitment department (hrrecruitment.northamerica@dnv.com). Information received relating to accommodations will be addressed confidentially.

DNV is proud to announce being named one of Houston’s best places to work in the 2022 Houston Business Journal – Best Places to Work competition.

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Please visit our website at www.dnv.com

As required by the various Pay Transparency laws, DNV provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired in Colorado, California, Washington, or New York. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific office location. For the states of Colorado, California, Washington, and New York only, the range of starting pay for this role is $110,000 - $185,000

Company & Business Area Description

DNV is the independent expert in assurance and risk management, operating in more than 100 countries. Through our broad experience and deep expertise we advance safety and sustainable performance, set industry benchmarks, and inspire and invent solutions.

We provide assurance to the entire energy value chain through our advisory, monitoring, verification, and certification services. As the world's leading resource of independent energy experts and technical advisors, we help industries and governments to navigate the many complex, interrelated transitions taking place globally and regionally, in the energy industry. We are committed to realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement, and support all stakeholders to transition faster to a deeply decarbonized energy system.