PV & BESS - Control Room Operator

About the role

NovaSource Power Services is the world’s #1-ranked solar operations and maintenance (O&M) provider and insight-driven total asset optimization partner for renewables asset owners ready to fuel smart growth. With over 20 years of operating experience and a presence on 5 continents, NovaSource has the global reach and strategic capabilities to achieve our clients’ renewables goals around the world. NovaSource’s comprehensive approach to total asset optimization in addition to O&M services includes value engineering, performance analysis, strategic supply chain management, and advanced monitoring systems. The company operates in key global markets managing over 30GW of solar power plants. NovaSource’s expertise extends beyond solar and includes battery energy storage systems (BESS), offering a complete suite of services for the evolving renewable energy landscape.

Responsibilities

• Pursue maximum possible revenue deliveries, identify, and initiate appropriate response plans for alarm conditions that may place safety or production at risk, and implement all applicable regulatory and contractual obligations as they apply to real-time operations fleet wide.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations activities for a diverse portfolio of generating facilities under the jurisdiction of many balancing authorities, transmission providers, and scheduling entities.
• Maintain awareness of complex operating situations against multiple regulatory and contractual obligations: operating contracts (O&M Agreement, Power Purchase Agreement, Interconnect Agreement), Balancing Authority tariffs, business practice manuals, transmission and scheduling entity operating handbooks, O&M operating agreements, and any NERC standards applicable to the generator operator / generator owner.
• During equipment changes, enforce OM change management policies, protect Generator Owner compliance for equipment under O&M jurisdiction, and monitor for high priority alarm conditions that may place company at risk for equipment not yet under O&M jurisdiction.
• Provide recommendations to Commissioning for risk mitigation, which may involve complicated business trade-offs, operate multiple power plant control systems technologies, predict grid response to control actions, implement voltage schedules according to agreements and contracts, initiate and document appropriate alarm response plans, and coordinate immediate responses for high risk or high impact trouble indications.
• Perform failure analysis using historical data for inverter trips and performance reductions, failures of MV and HV equipment, network equipment, and control systems, assign outage classifications to meet monthly reporting obligations, and provide reliability data for NovaSource use in future process development and site development.
• Interact with maintenance teams across the fleet, understand contractual dispatch obligations, and challenge the maintenance team to maximize the owner’s revenue and bonus; maximize value when accomplishing required maintenance.
• During a failure of the forecasting system, use a pre-written worksheet and OM procedures to manually generate and deliver all forecasts.
• Maintain the operator log for tracking capacity offline, trouble conditions and status for purposes of turnover and customer reporting, change in status of any contract or services, control actions implemented at the site or by Control Room, interactions with external regulatory entities, provide contractually required failure notifications, report capacity in real-time as required by the Market Tariff and Power Purchase Agreement, and ensure the forecasting system captures any outage’s impact for subsequent hours by logging shortfalls.
• Provide safety review for any Procedure written to a specific Task by the maintenance team, ensuring minimum isolation requirements are met according to O&M policies and OSHA/NFPA/NETA requirements, and switching instructions are consistent with Good Utility Practice.

Requirements

• 6 years’ experience in power plant operations with high voltage experience.
• Able to demonstrate competent technical knowledge of general plant and system processes, electrical and SCADA systems.
• Able to demonstrate competent technical knowledge in analyzing equipment performance and identifying performance issues using software tools.

Skills

• Behavioral: Coordinate multiple activities and ensure safety, quality, and schedule adherence; take direction, identify problems, develop solutions, conduct analysis independently and in collaboration with others; work in a high-stress environment where decisions directly impact personnel safety and equipment reliability.
• Technical: Proficient computer skills using MS Excel, MS Project, MS Word, and Outlook; experience working with and troubleshooting plant SCADA systems and computerized maintenance management systems; knowledge of Power System Dynamics for predicting grid impact during control actions; understanding of electronic power system protection equipment purpose/behavior; VBA and/or SQL Experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Education: Degree with an emphasis in power systems or formal operations apprenticeship training or equivalent; experience may be considered if relevant.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay: Starting at $40/hour.
• Quarterly Bonus Program: Performance-based incentive opportunities.
• Health Coverage: Comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, and vision plans effective on your first day.
• Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts (FSA/HSA): Options to help you save on healthcare costs.
• Career Growth: On-the-job training with a clear path for advancement.
• Income Protection: Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Legal Support: Access to legal assistance services.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential counseling and support resources.
• Retail Savings: 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.
• Additional Perks: Pet insurance and more employee benefits.

Office Physical Requirements

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. In order to best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation.

Legal Compliance

NovaSource is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.