Job Description
Who You Are
- Engineer with an in-depth and broad understanding of design principles for hybrid power systems
- Experienced power system modeler and analyst, with experience determining size, storage and system configurations for hybrid power systems
- Self-starter who is passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform frontier markets in Africa
- Entrepreneurial mind who is not afraid of exploring how new technologies can be used to optimize our work and enable us to create robust products
- Capable of applying engineering principles to complex, bespoke problems that require creative thinking
- Comfortable with ambiguity; you are effective in a fast-moving and complex environment that does not have a fixed rule book
- Sound commercial judgement; independently assesses the most economical interventions and considers the long-term view when evaluating the costs and benefits of a potential solution
- A systematic and highly organized project manager; takes personal accountability for tracking numerous activities across workstreams and driving them all to successful conclusion
Primary Responsibilities
- Leading hybrid sizing, configuration and solution designs including optimal configuration of solar, thermal and storage seeking to optimize for lowest cost of energy (LCoE).
- Recommend how to optimize battery storage solution design, given different storage technologies and associated tradeoffs
- Produce preliminary design documentation including physical layouts, interconnection strategy, single line diagrams (SLDs), bills of quantities (BOQs), or solar production analyses (PVsyst)
- Drive equipment, procurement, and construction contractors (EPCs), suppliers and subcontractor toward creative solutions that improve CBE’s product offering. Ensure various integrated components are compatible, and support with supplier contracting
- Advise CBE’s construction mangers during project implementation on design review, network integration, and commissioning to ensure the end product meets customer requirements
- Communicate conclusions of technical analyses clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including those without deep engineering expertise
- Focus the work of the design engineering team to prioritize tasks across workstreams, maintain excellent quality of analysis, and satisfy the requirements of the multiple project stakeholders
- Draft installation and operations manuals to support solution’s optimal technical performance
- Participate in new business development by preparing detailed technical inputs and assumptions for pricing, proposal materials and customer engagement
- Advise business development colleagues during Energy Services Agreement (ESA) contract drafting and negotiations with technical analyses and contract inputs
Qualifications
Ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:
- Design and construction experience in thermal-hybrid solar PV or solar home systems, especially minigrids and nanogrids, with a top-tier firm
- Deep understanding of battery storage technologies and design of storage solutions
- Extensive knowledge of the state of play of the energy systems market and deep understanding of ‘what’s possible’ in terms of technologies, systems, monitoring and controls
- Experience project managing the delivery of complex engineering projects in African markets
- Good commercial understanding of the solar IPP model including an understanding of project finance
- Interest and understanding of the telecom or towerco industry
Required qualifications:
- Master of Engineering degree
- 2+ years' work experience in either power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks, building electrical engineering, or electrical generation
- Hybrid sizing, configuring and modelling experience – HOMER (or similar) and/or self-built models
- Understanding of the key components that form part of a hybrid solution
- Solar PV
- Battery storage
- Backup diesel generators
- In depth understanding of AC/DC electrical power systems, power electronics
- Writes clearly, professionally, and with good command of the English language