Renewable Energy Engineer

Renewable Energy Engineer  

CrossBoundary Energy 

About the Firm

CrossBoundary Energy develops, owns, and operates distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses, offering cheaper and cleaner energy through power purchase and lease agreements. With a secured portfolio exceeding $710M, the company boasts over 500MW of solar PV and wind generation, approximately 600MWh of battery energy storage, and around 50MW of enabling thermal generation assets. Their clients include industry leaders like Rio Tinto, Unilever, Diageo, Heineken, and Devki Group.

The diverse portfolio features large-scale renewable-led hybrid power plants for mines, rooftop and ground-mount solar PV plants for industrial clients, and distributed solar PV and battery power solutions for telecommunications sites. As a member of the CrossBoundary Group, founded in 2011, CrossBoundary Energy is dedicated to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Learn more at www.crossboundaryenergy.com.

Job Description

CrossBoundary Energy is recruiting a Renewable Energy Engineer for our hybrid development activities. We are actively pursuing opportunities to integrate large scale solar PV and storage facilities with mines and large industrial customers who rely on thermal (diesel, HFO or gas) generation plants to provide power to their operations. Working with our development team, finance team and internal engineering team, the Renewable Energy Engineer will be responsible for supporting technical and business development activities by assessing and optimizing the configuration, sizing and performance of our renewable energy projects in development. 

CBE is not an EPC or a pure developer, as we seek to build a portfolio of long-term, high-performing assets. CBE will look to you for practical insights on how to make discrete business decisions that will directly affect our financial outcomes. 

Who We Are 

The CrossBoundary Energy team is a unique group of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world’s most challenging and exciting renewable energy markets. The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to make a large impact on the clean energy landscape for mines across the world. Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.  

Who You Are 

• Self-starter who is passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform fragile states and frontier markets in Africa 

• Understand the fundamentals of industrial applications for solar energy, power systems engineering, electrical transmission/distribution networks and / or electrical generation 

• Capable of applying engineering principles to complex, bespoke problems that require creative thinking 

• Comfortable with ambiguity; you are effective in a fast-moving and complex environment that does not have a fixed rule book

• A practical thinker known for choosing the simple, robust solution where more complicated approaches would deliver the same results 

• A systematic and highly-organized project manager; takes personal accountability for tracking numerous activities across workstreams and driving them all to successful conclusion 

• A creative problem-solver not afraid to get their hands dirty to untangle a complex issue 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Conduct energy yield assessments for solar and wind projects using industry standard software such as PVSyst, Windpro, and PV design software

• Analyse and interpret data from various solar and / or wind resource databases

• Perform yield / energy assessments for multiple design configurations and equipment selections

• Provide options assessments and comparative analysis to support decision-making

• Develop and implement energy models to predict the performance and optimal sizing of renewable energy systems using in-house, or external software packages such as Homer Energy

• Collaborate with project development teams to optimize project designs

• Prepare detailed technical reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders

• Stay updated with the latest industry trends and advancements in renewable energy technologies

• Support the technical development of CBE’s hybrid project portfolio from early lead stage through to financial close 

• Conduct hybrid sizing, configuration and design including optimal configuration of solar, thermal and storage seeking to optimize for LCoE 
• Review detailed EPC designs for construction
• Manage technical interfaces between suppliers 

• Support the business development team with technical inputs for pricing, proposal materials and customer engagement 

• Provide technical support during PPA drafting and negotiations 

• Support the CBE technical team on an adhoc basis on projects across the full CBE portfolio 

Qualifications 

Ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Renewable Energy, Engineering, or a related field

• Proficiency in PVSyst, Windpro, PV design and Homer Energy software

• Strong understanding of different solar and / or wind weather resource databases (Solcast, Solar GIS, Meteonorm, PV GIS, etc.)

• Experience in performing yield assessments, energy modelling, and comparative analysis

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

• Strong communication and presentation skills

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Attention to detail and a commitment to quality

• Preferably have at least 2 years of relevant experience in renewable energy assessment

• Experience in the following sectors / skills will be advantageous: 

• Professional certifications in renewable energy assessment

• Experience with other renewable energy assessment tools and software

• Experience in performing power system analysis, or grid code compliance studies using tools such as DigSilent, ETAP, PSS/E, or similar

• Experience working in Africa 

• Experience with the development and/or implementation of medium to large scale energy generation projects (thermal, wind or solar PV) – consulting, developer, EPC, IPP, operator 

• Proficient in data handling / regression modelling / automation programming languages such as Python, VBA, etc. to optimize outputs and work flows

Think you have what it takes but are not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you!   

Location 

Cape Town, South Africa is the preferred location, but we are open to candidates being based in Johannesburg, South Africa, or Nairobi, Kenya. 

Equal Opportunity Employer 

CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]