Battery Storage Commissioning Engineer

ANS•Columbus, OH

6d•$80,000 - $100,000•Hybrid

About The Position

ANS is a rapidly growing consulting engineering firm specializing in renewable energy, particularly solar and battery storage. We are recognized as a Best Place to Work and a Top Hottest Engineering Firm, with significant growth and a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and data-driven decisions. Our team is licensed in over 20 states and possesses extensive collective experience. We offer a comprehensive suite of services across the renewable energy value stream, from project development to operations and maintenance. Our customer-centric approach has led to high retention and market penetration. The Commissioning Engineer role is crucial, operating at the intersection of design, construction, and manufacturing for utility-scale battery projects. This role involves leading and ensuring projects meet all contractual, code, and local requirements before grid energization and testing. Success is measured by meeting owner metrics and performance requirements for market operation. The engineer will lead projects through the commissioning process, coordinating with various stakeholders including utilities, contractors, engineers, manufacturers, and owners to ensure grid synchronization and market participation. Key responsibilities include developing test plans, maintaining detailed records, and resolving challenges.

Requirements

Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
1+ year of commissioning experience with an engineering degree, or 3+ years without.
Knowledge of relevant codes and standards for energy storage systems and inverters.
Strong understanding of plant controls and communication systems.
Experience in construction, commissioning, and analytical problem-solving.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Commitment to safety protocols and industry standards.
Ability to delegate and collaborate effectively within a team.
Must be okay with approximately 10 days of travel out of every month during the commissioning period of the project.

Nice To Haves

Experience in solar energy, battery storage, or broader renewable energy engineering.

Responsibilities

Lead and ensure project design and construction meet all contractual, code, and local requirements.
Evaluate project metrics from the owner and performance requirements for market operation.
Lead the project through the commissioning process, coordinating with utilities, contractors, engineers, manufacturers, and owners.
Coordinate and lead commissioning activities to ensure project synchronization with the grid and participation in markets.
Develop comprehensive test plans.
Keep organized and detailed notes.
Address any challenges head-on.
Communicate clearly with the client (Owner) to serve their best interests.
Ensure equipment purchased meets specifications.
Ensure the project is built to approved design.
Ensure the project meets interconnection requirements to operate on the grid.
Ensure the project meets or exceeds the quantities being sold (energy, capacity, ancillary services).
Provide responses to close out the construction of the project by supporting the EPC and contractors to deem the project mechanically complete and substantial completion through onsite inspection and review of EPC testing.
Prioritize and lead the team in testing to ensure a safe and on-time project.
Lead reoccurring meetings with all stakeholders (owner, EPC, vendors, engineers, utility, etc.), ranging from bi-weekly in early phases to daily during the testing phase.
Complete key testing deliverables such as project efficiency and capacity tests, Master test plan, and interconnection testing results (AVR, Reactive 4-Quad, PFR tests).
Provide detailed review of all projects Mechanical and substantial completion tests from the EPC or contractor, including grounding tests, VLF cable testing, Insulation resistive testing, Thermography, IV Curve test, Transformer FAT and onsite tests, and inspection of construction milestones.
Recommend and observe remediation if results do not meet the owner’s technical spec or standards.
Lead interconnection testing with the utility to witness, record, and pass utility energization and sync testing (e.g., reactive four quad testing, automatic voltage regulation, power frequency regulation).
Witness and provide guidance and support for passing each test, including prioritizing time and resources for appropriate testing, tuning, and re-testing.
Manage different login portals for the site, including VPN access to the site substation and HMI.
Use remote access to the data historian, HMI, and telemetry to troubleshoot issues around data quality and compliance.
Learn and become proficient with SCADA systems provided by vendors (battery, inverter, O&M, SCADA).