| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Energy and Solar |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Solar Project Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 7 years in electrical commissioning |
Commissioning Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Commissioning Engineer
Department: Energy and Solar
Reports to: Solar Project Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Commissioning Engineer tests and energises a solar plant's systems so it starts generating correctly and safely. They plan and run commissioning tests, check installation against design, energise equipment, resolve faults, and prove the plant meets performance before handover. The role reports to the Solar Project Manager. A good commissioning engineer brings a plant online safely and on schedule, catches installation and equipment problems before they become losses, and hands over tested systems with complete commissioning records.
Key responsibilities
- Plan the commissioning sequence and test plans for the plant's systems.
- Check installation of modules, inverters, cabling and structures against design.
- Carry out pre commissioning tests such as insulation, earthing and string checks.
- Energise equipment safely following the commissioning and safety procedure.
- Test inverters, transformers, protection systems and SCADA integration during commissioning.
- Diagnose and resolve faults found during commissioning with the site team.
- Run performance tests to prove the plant meets design output.
- Coordinate grid synchronisation and power evacuation with the utility team.
- Prepare and hand over complete commissioning records and test reports.
- Support the handover of tested systems to the operations team.
Requirements
- Engineering degree in electrical or electronics
- Solar commissioning experience
- Electrical safety training
- 3 to 7 years in electrical commissioning
KRAs and KPIs for a Commissioning Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Commissioning schedule | Systems commissioned by the committed dates on the project |
| Test completeness | All commissioning tests completed and documented before energising |
| Fault resolution | Commissioning faults resolved within the target time |
| Performance proof | Plant meeting design performance ratio on commissioning tests |
| Safety | Zero electrical safety incident during commissioning |
| Records | Commissioning records and test reports complete at handover |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Insulation tester and earth tester, IV curve tracer, Multimeter and clamp meter, Thermal camera, Commissioning checklists.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Commissioning Engineer, Commissioning Manager, O and M Engineer
Interview questions for a Commissioning Engineer
- How do you plan the commissioning sequence for a solar plant?
- What pre commissioning tests do you run before energising?
- How do you diagnose an inverter that trips on start up?
- How do you energise equipment safely during commissioning?
- How do you prove a plant meets its design performance?
- Tell me about a tricky fault you found during commissioning.
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What does a commissioning engineer do?
A commissioning engineer tests and energises a solar plant's systems so it starts generating correctly and safely. They plan and run commissioning tests, check installation against design, energise equipment, resolve faults, and prove the plant meets performance before handover. They bring the plant online safely and hand over complete commissioning records.
What tests does a commissioning engineer run on a solar plant?
A commissioning engineer runs pre commissioning tests such as insulation resistance, earthing continuity and string polarity and voltage checks, then tests inverters, transformers, protection systems and SCADA integration. After energising, they run performance tests to prove the plant meets its design output, and document every result before handover to operations.
What qualifications do you need to be a commissioning engineer?
Most commissioning engineers hold an engineering degree in electrical or electronics with solar commissioning experience and electrical safety training. Employers look for strong electrical testing and fault diagnosis skills, knowledge of inverters, protection and SCADA, and the discipline to energise equipment safely and document every commissioning test thoroughly.