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Solar Energy Installation Manager

Engineering

Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Renewable EnergyElectrical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Plan and coordinate installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar and solar thermal systems to ensure conformance to codes.
  2. 2Supervise solar installers, technicians, and subcontractors for solar installation projects to ensure compliance with safety standards.
  3. 3Estimate materials, equipment, and personnel needed for residential or commercial solar installation projects.
  4. 4Prepare solar installation project proposals, quotes, budgets, or schedules.
  5. 5Provide technical assistance to installers, technicians, or other solar professionals in areas such as solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, electrical systems, or mechanical systems.
  6. 6Coordinate or schedule building inspections for solar installation projects.
  7. 7Perform start-up of systems for testing or customer implementation.
  8. 8Develop and maintain system architecture, including all piping, instrumentation, or process flow diagrams.
  9. 9Identify means to reduce costs, minimize risks, or increase efficiency of solar installation projects.
  10. 10Assess system performance or functionality at the system, subsystem, and component levels.
  11. 11Assess potential solar installation sites to determine feasibility and design requirements.
  12. 12Monitor work of contractors and subcontractors to ensure projects conform to plans, specifications, schedules, or budgets.
  13. 13Visit customer sites to determine solar system needs, requirements, or specifications.
  14. 14Evaluate subcontractors or subcontractor bids for quality, cost, and reliability.
  15. 15Purchase or rent equipment for solar energy system installation.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Solar PM
  • Solar Energy PM
  • Piping Supervisor
  • Solar Electrical PM
  • Installation Manager
  • Solar Field Supervisor
  • Commercial Field Manager
  • Commercial Subcontractor
  • Residential Field Manager
  • Residential Subcontractor

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Building and Construction88%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Customer and Personal Service84%
  • Administration and Management73%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Design69%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Mechanical69%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Transportation66%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedRarely
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

7%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Electrician (Chargeman)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Solar Energy Installation Managers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org