To become a power systems engineer, one can earn an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree in power systems engineering, or a bachelor’s degree in engineering with a specialization certificate in power systems engineering. Power systems engineers work in power generation companies or suppliers, contractors, or consultants who service power plants. Courses include engineering, high voltage, electrical power qualities, photovoltaics, economics, and power system protection. Interpersonal and project management skills are also important.
To become a power systems engineer and work for a power generation company, you can take several paths. For example, to become a power systems engineer, you can earn an associate degree. Or, if you want more training, you can get a bachelor’s degree in power systems engineering. Or, conversely, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program, work for two years, and then earn a specialization certificate in power systems engineering.
Power systems engineers typically work directly for power generation companies or for suppliers, contractors, or consultants who service power plants. They also work in manufacturing companies that have high voltage and substations, such as large chemical plants. Power systems engineers are involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of power supply-related infrastructure. Additionally, power systems engineers are responsible for the safety and health needs of the general public and their colleagues.
Courses for this field include all aspects of mill work. For example, to become a power systems engineer, courses such as engineering and high voltage, electrical power qualities, and photovoltaics are required. Courses may also include topics such as economics in power system operation and power system protection.
Higher voltage classes involve explanation of how high voltage and current are generated and measured. It’s not uncommon for students to actually go into companies and do lab tests with high voltage. Courses involving electrical power help students who wish to become a power systems engineer learn about various types of power quality issues, sags or overvoltages, principles relating to harmonic control, and power quality improvement.
The photovoltaic energy course includes discussion of the physics or characteristics of solar cell technology, alternative energy supply control, array design, energy storage methods, code compliance, and system-related issues. Economics-related courses focus on the economic load relative to thermal power plants, matrix element evaluation, extending the load criterion to include system loss, and the effect of hydroelectric power plants on the economy.
Courses related to power system protection focus on protective relays, solid state reimbursement methods pertaining to high voltage transmissions, power line carriers, circuit breaker interruptions, synchronization and retransmission. Topics such as the stability of a power system, network analysis, synchronous reactance of machines and surge phenomena, as they occur in power systems, are also covered in power systems engineering courses.
In school, in addition to academic learning, if you want to become a power systems engineer, you must develop the ability to learn quickly, understand how motors, transformers and generators work, and understand three-phase theory. Project management skills must be acquired. Also, you must learn good interpersonal skills, because power systems engineers have to work with everyone from the woodworkers who assemble the cables to the farmers who own the land around the substations.
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