What does the day-to-day work of solar installation project managers with a federal certificate look like?

Solar installation project managers with a federal certificate are specialists with a professional background in building technology planning or in the professional field of building envelopes who specialize in the installation and maintenance of standardized solar systems for hot water, heat and electricity generation. They supervise solar projects from planning to installation and beyond.

For smaller buildings (single or multi-family homes and commercial buildings), solar installation project managers handle the entire project from start to finish; for more complex installations, they usually take care of the professional execution of the solar installations, while the planning is in the hands of planning specialists.

Solar installation project managers advise their customers, inform them about standardized solar installations and systems and assess the suitability of the buildings concerned. When planning the systems, they determine the position and alignment of the system components as well as the routing and penetration of cables and define mounting points and substructures. They install the systems independently.

As specialists, they take the applicable standards and protective measures into account in all their activities. By installing solar systems, they make a significant contribution to the promotion of renewable energies and thus to the realization of the 2000-watt society. It goes without saying that they keep up to date with technical developments and innovations as well as energy policy discussions.

Target group and skills: Who is the solar installation project manager professional examination with a federal certificate suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The solar installation training and vocational examination project management is aimed at the following target group:

• Professionals - especially (but not only) from the fields of building technology and building envelopes - who want to continue their professional training, specialize in the promising field of solar systems and work in a responsible position in this field.

Solar installation project managers should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Sociability and good communication skills
• Ability to work in a structured and goal-oriented manner
• Independence
• Organizational talent
• Interest in energy technology developments and energy policy
• Stable health and a head for heights
• Weather resistance

Requirements for admission to the professional examination "Solar installation project manager" with federal certificate

The prerequisites for admission to the professional examination for solar installation project manager are

Federal certificate of proficiency(EFZ) in a building services engineering profession (building services engineering planner for heating, ventilation, sanitation) or building envelope (waterproofing, roofer, façade builder, scaffolder, blind fitter) or an equivalent qualification

AND

within the last 10 years at least3 years of professional experiencein a building services engineering or building envelope profession

AND

Solarteur certificate(requires 7 module qualifications, which may be completed as part of the preparatory courses for the professional examination)

AND

2 Project management modules"Project management basics" and "Solar installation project management" (also completed as part of the preparatory courses for the professional examination)

Subject matter and content of the training

The preparatory courses to become a solar installation project manager with a federal certificate are practical, solution-oriented and perfectly aligned with the requirements of the professional examination. The further training comprises two subject areas: Specialist courses (7 modules), successful completion of which leads to the European-recognized certificate "Solarteur", and project management (2 modules).

Specialist modules:

• DWA- Roof, wall, occupational safety: basic knowledge of the building envelope, assembly systems, occupational safety
• EUM- Energy, environment, market: energy theory, energy situation and environmental consequences, energy/climate/environmental policy, solar energy, support measures, laws and building standards
• GET- Fundamentals of electrical engineering: physical principles of ET, electrical energy supply, energy and power, protective measures in domestic installations, safety when working on electrical systems, legal principles
• GWT- Basics of heating technology: physical basics of heating technology, heating installations, sanitary installations, pipe connection techniques
• WP- Heat pump: basics of heat pumps, heat pump systems, realization of heat pump systems
• PV- Photovoltaics: PV systems, components of PV systems, realization of PV systems
• ST- Solar thermal energy: ST basics, ST systems, realization of ST systems

Project management modules:

• Project management basicsBasic concepts of project management, procedure methodology, initialization process, project goals, organization, work breakdown structure, planning of deadlines, resources and costs, project controlling
• Solar installation project managementBasics of solar energy, permits, subsidies, conception, construction management

The sponsors of the professional examination (consisting of 7 construction industry associations) and their quality assurance committee regularly review and revise the requirements. This ensures that the knowledge and skills imparted are always up to date, take into account the latest technological developments and comply with legal requirements.

Costs and financing of further training

The following costs must be expected for further training (as of July 2023)

• TheSchool fees for the preparation coursesfor the 7 specialist modules is CHF 7,300 and for the 2 project management modules CHF 2,800, i.e. a total of CHF 10,100, of which you will receive up to 50% back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result) after passing the professional examination*.
• Fee for the professional examinationCHF 1,500 (as of July 2023). Candidates must pay the examination fee as soon as they receive notification of admission.
• The costs for enrolment, teaching materials and training documents and module examinations are usually included in the tuition fee. We recommend that you contact the provider of your choice directly and ask whether you can work withExtra costshave to reckon with.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.

Duration of study, teaching times and learning effort

The further training to become a solar installation project manager is designed to be completed alongside work and lasts at least two semesters.

The course comprises 9 modules. Each module is completed with an examination. The module qualifications are valid for five years.

Lessons take place on individual weekdays (often Thurs/Fri) plus half Saturdays and comprise around 350 lessons of 45 minutes each (curriculum and number of lessons may vary in detail depending on the school). The number of teaching units of the individual modules is approx:

• DWA - Roof, wall, occupational safety: 40 lessons
• EUM - Energy, Environment, Market: 20 lessons.
• GET - Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: 30 lessons
• GWT - Fundamentals of thermal engineering: 30 lessons
• WP - Heat pump: 45 lessons.
• PV - Photovoltaics: 45 lessons
• ST - Solar thermal energy: 45 lessons
• Project management basics: 24 lessons
• Solar installation project management: 72 lessons

Those who have successfully completed the specialist modules DWA, EUM, GET, GWT, WP, PV and ST receive the European-recognized "Solarteur" certificate; those who have successfully completed all 9 modules can register for the professional examination. - This also means that anyone who holds the solar technician certificate and has also successfully completed the two modules on project management (basics and PL solar installation) can register for the professional examination.

You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up on the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Professional examination: degree, diploma and title

TheProfessional examinationis organized by the Polybau training center.

The professional examination is an individual project and can be started at any time (if the admission requirements are met). Candidates have the choice of taking the examination in German, French or Italian.

The professional examination for solar installation project manager consists of two parts. The tasks in both parts can be divided into different positions:

1) Networking(written, prepared in advance)

Candidates document a specific solar installation in all project phases (planning, implementation, evaluation) in a written paper.

2) Presentation(oral, approx. 20 min.)and oral questioning(approx. 30 min.)

The presentation takes the form of a role play: the examination experts take on the role of the client, the candidate the role of the solar installation project manager. They explain to the clients how the solar installation works and why which techniques were used. In the oral interview, the candidates must demonstrate that they have the required specialist knowledge and can explain facts in a technically correct and comprehensible manner.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate in addition to the already acquired European-recognized Solarteur® certificate, are entered in the SERI* register and are entitled to use the following federally protected titles.

• German: Solar installation project manager with federal certificate
• French: Cheffe de projet en montage solaire / Chef de projet en montage solaire
• Italian: Capoprogetto montaggio solare con attestato professionale federale

English: Solar Installation Project Manager with Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training (this is not a protected title, but the recommended translation)

* The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation keeps a register of all holders of federal certificates and diplomas.