Renewables Performance Engineer / Analyst

Job Description

Renewables Performance Engineer / Analyst

JOB SUMMARY: This position will function as part of the Southern Power Monitoring & Diagnostics (M&D) Center which provides remote monitoring and diagnostic support to the SPC fleet of gas, biomass, wind, and solar generating assets across the country. The Performance Engineer/Analyst will utilize basic engineering concepts and accumulated knowledge to efficiently diagnose and manage issues to continuously improve the SPC renewable (solar, wind, energy storage) fleet performance.

This position is responsible for the following:

• Querying, analyzing, and modeling large disparate energy operational data as they pertain to performance and reliability
• Reporting on and assisting in improving performance and reliability
• Manage power performance testing and energy guarantee testing
• Track and report on lost energy during outage events
• Track and report on data quality issues

This position will closely support and interface with M&D Analysts, ROC Operators, Renewable Analysts, and plant personnel in these activities.

This position will be located at the Southern Power M&D Center in Birmingham, AL and will be filled at a level and job classification commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 3 years or more experience in reliability or performance engineer in solar/wind power generation.
• A strong understanding of SCADA event and fault codes of different manufacturer inverters pertaining to availability and performance calculations.
• Hands-on experience with plant data historian (AVEVA PI) - building trends and analyzing data - preferred.
• Experience with data management techniques to access, integrate, and present data from multiple sources is desired (Excel, Databricks, Power BI, Tableau, PI Vision, etc).
• Experience with Python, SQL is a plus
• Experience supporting long-term EPC tests for renewables projects including power performance testing
• Experience in organizing and managing multiple projects at the same time. Proven ability to plan and ability to discern problems that need immediate attention versus those that allow more time to resolve.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Renewable Energy, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Ability to use multiple data sources such as SCADA, plant controls, cloud data storage, and data historians to troubleshoot plant performance issues.
• Working knowledge of solar or wind performance metrics is required.
• Ability to present analysis and conclusions in a clear format that can be understood by both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Able to work independently or as a member of a team to develop innovative solutions to challenging technical problems.

BEHAVIORAL ATTRIBUTES

• Must be able to make timely decisions, apply seasoned judgment, and display personal responsibility.
• Display unquestionable trust, superior performance, and total commitment.
• Be a team player - able to quickly build good working relationships
• Staying current on relevant industry trends
• Results oriented self-starter that can work independently
• Promote Safety First Behaviors

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Query data from various databases including AVEVA PI.
• Perform performance and reliability analyses inclusive of metric calculations and dashboard development.
• Provide analytical support to maintenance management and technical personnel on an ad-hoc and scheduled basis.
• Measure fleet performance against established metrics and compare actual to forecasted performance and reliability
• Identify performance shortfalls and determine potential causes.
• Summarize findings, including developed conclusions and recommendations, in both informal and formal meetings and documents.
• Track and report on all lost energy events caused by outages, derates, curtailments or other conditions
• Conduct and report on data quality issues, tag scaling issues or other related data protocol.
• Provide continuous first response performance support to operations and maintenance personnel.
• Forecast performance improvements expected from corrective actions such as design changes and operations controls changes.
• Originate and/or evaluate modification and upgrade opportunities for the SPC renewable fleet for key systems.
• Assist in new technology selection for power generation systems and assist in quantifying value of increased output and/or efficiency.
• Manage and coordinate performance tests for wind projects.

Total travel time will be no more than 25%.

About Us

Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and other energy customers. Southern Power and its subsidiaries own 55 facilities operating or under construction in 14 states with more than 12,500 MW of generating capacity in Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonawards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

About the Team

Southern Power