Solar Engineer

Owen Daniels; Reading; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

In-house design ownership

Full training and accreditation

Job summary

Owen Daniels is seeking a technically capable Solar Designer to produce buildable designs for commercial PV and battery storage projects. You will translate site surveys and energy profiles into layouts, yield models and financial cases, then hand over a complete design pack to delivery teams.

The role focuses on rooftop, ground mount and carport systems, with an emphasis on accuracy, compliance and practical installability. A driving licence and relevant electrical qualifications are required.

Qualifications

• Experience designing solar PV systems for commercial projects.
• Ability to translate surveys and energy data into buildable designs.
• Knowledge of applicable standards and building regulations.

Responsibilities

• Design solar PV systems for rooftop, ground mount and carport projects (50 kWp+).
• Build yield and performance models using PVsol / PVsyst; analyze shading and site constraints.
• Size systems from consumption data for payback and self-consumption.
• Design battery storage alongside PV to optimise self-use and export.
• Create electrical designs, CAD layouts, and single line diagrams.
• Carry out structural/roof loading checks with engineers.
• Prepare drawings and documentation; ensure BS 7671, MCS, G98/G99 compliance.
• Submit DNO applications; maintain design records and handover packs.
• Support sales with payback/IRR modelling; attend client/site meetings.
• Provide ongoing design support during installation and revisions.
• Experience with SketchUp, Helioscope, Aurora or similar.

Skills

PV design experience

Site survey interpretation

Commercial awareness

Client communication

Education

Electrical engineering qualification (HNC/HND/degree)

Qualified electrician moving into design

Tools

PVsol

PVsyst

AutoCAD

SketchUp

Helioscope

Aurora

Excel

DNO application tools

Job description

Berkshire (office based, with occasional site visits)

Salary: Up to £50,000

About the business

A well established, family owned solar PV, battery storage and EV charging specialist. Operating for over 15 years with thousands of systems delivered across the South of England, they design, install and maintain everything in house, from first survey through to commissioning and long term aftercare. Their commercial work spans warehousing and distribution, cold storage, manufacturing, care homes, hotels, education, agriculture and local authorities, alongside a busy residential arm.

Purpose of the role

To produce technically accurate, commercially competitive solar PV and battery storage designs that win work and can actually be built. The Designer sits between the sales and delivery teams, translating a site survey and a client's energy profile into a system layout, yield model and financial case, then handing a clean, buildable design pack to the project team.

Key responsibilities:

Design and modelling

• Produce solar PV system designs for commercial rooftop, ground mount and carport projects, typically 50 kWp upwards, alongside residential and small commercial work as required
• Build yield and performance models using PVsol, PVsyst or similar, factoring in shading analysis, orientation, tilt and site constraints
• Analyse half hourly consumption data and energy bills to size systems for optimal self consumption and payback
• Design battery storage systems alongside PV, sizing for peak shaving, self consumption and, where relevant, export management
• Produce electrical designs including string layouts, cable sizing, voltage drop calculations, protection and single line diagrams
• Carry out structural and roof loading checks in conjunction with the structural engineer or third party consultant

Documentation and compliance

• Produce CAD layouts and drawing packs using AutoCAD or equivalent
• Ensure designs comply with BS 7671, MCS, G98 and G99, MIS 3002 and relevant building and fire regulations
• Prepare and submit DNO applications and supporting technical documentation
• Maintain accurate design records, as built drawings and handover documentation

Commercial and client facing

• Support the sales team with technical input during the proposal stage, including payback, IRR and carbon savings modelling
• Attend client and site meetings where technical explanation is needed
• Produce and price bills of materials, working with procurement on component selection and availability
• Attend site surveys where required and interrogate survey data for accuracy before design begins

Delivery support

• Hand designs over to the project delivery team with a full technical brief
• Provide ongoing design support during installation, resolving queries and issuing revisions where site conditions differ from survey
• Feed lessons from completed installations back into the design process
• Demonstrable experience designing solar PV systems, ideally with commercial and industrial exposure
• Proficiency with PVsol, PVsyst or comparable modelling software
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD or equivalent
• Sound understanding of BS 7671 and MCS requirements
• Ability to carry out cable sizing, voltage drop and basic electrical calculations
• Comfortable interpreting energy consumption data and building a commercial case around a design
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to hold several designs at once without dropping quality
• Full UK driving licence
• Electrical engineering qualification (HNC, HND, degree or equivalent) or a background as a qualified electrician moving into design
• Experience designing battery storage systems and hybrid inverter setups
• Familiarity with DNO application processes for G98 and G99
• Experience with SketchUp, Helioscope, Aurora or similar

Personal attributes

• Practical and pragmatic, designs things that can be installed rather than only things that model well
• Comfortable explaining technical decisions to non technical people, including clients and salespeople
• Collaborative, since the role only works if sales, design and delivery talk to each other
• Curious about new products and technology in a market that moves quickly

What is on offer

• Competitive salary depending on experience, plus benefits
• Everything delivered in house, meaning genuine ownership of the design rather than handing it to a third party and hoping
• A technically respected, fully accredited installer with a strong reference list
• Permanent, full time, in a stable and close knit team