What is an ICE Systems Technician?
Author: Ezra Drissman

An ICE (Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical) Systems
Technician installs, maintains, and repairs the more
advanced electronics in an alternate power system. This
generally includes the electronic control systems, the
instruments to measure and monitor the electrical power
supply, and the fail safe measures to prevent damage.

The career outlook for an ICE (Instrumentation, Control,
and Electrical) Systems Technician is good. They make on
average $17-$26 dollars and hour.

This requires a more advanced knowledge of electronics than
fabricators and installers would have.

For example, wiring solar cells together into a solar panel
requires only basic electronics skills, needing little more
than the use of a voltage meter and a soldering gun.
Connecting the battery arrays to the building's electrical
systems, however, requires installing DC inverters,
load-balancing equipment to charge all batteries equally,
instruments to measure the power produced by the solar
panels and the power levels in the batteries, and control
mechanisms to switch from the battery arrays to the local
power grid whenever the battery arrays are almost depleted.
Obviously, all this require more advanced knowledge,
skills, and equipment; and that's where the ICE Systems
Technician comes in.

What Are the Qualifications for an ICE Systems Technician?

Qualifying as an ICE Systems Technician requires, at the
very least, an Associate's Degree in electronics,
electrical engineering, or (if you can find such a program)
Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical Systems. A
Bachelor's or Master's Degree in these fields will increase
you employability, as will additional coursework in physics
and chemistry. Some positions may require between two to
five years of work experience in a similar industry, such
as at a power plant.

When working in the "green" energy industry on a large
scale (such as a wind farm full of wind turbines instead of
one residential wind turbine), things become more complex.
Instrumentation and control systems for an entire wind farm
would most likely be computer controlled and networked
together. Therefore, a few college classes in computer
networking (or registering as an industry-certified network
technician) would be helpful in landing jobs at a large
"green" power plant.

What Type of Person Is Good for This Position?

An ICE Systems Technician would need exceptional math
skills, along with both electrical and mechanical aptitude.
Patience and a systematic, analytical approach to problem
solving are other necessary qualities. Thoroughness,
attention to detail, organization, and an ability to handle
yourself well in a crisis are highly desirable.


About the Author:

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