Job Check
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
Install or repair solar energy systems designed to collect, store, and circulate solar-heated water for residential, commercial or industrial use.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.Mostly human for now
- 02Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.Mostly human for now
- 03Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.Mostly human for now
- 04Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.Mostly human for now
- 05Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.Mostly human for now
- 06Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.Mostly human for now
- 07Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.Mostly human for now
- 08Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.Mostly human for now
- 09Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.Mostly human for now
- 10Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.Mostly human for now
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job loss1%of this job’s work time goes to tasks that people already do with Claude at work, counting tasks where AI only helps as half (2026).Anthropic, 2026
5%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 20% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Above 69% of jobsin how much of this job’s physical work robots have been shown to do, from factories to homes (2026).Anthropic, 2026
Your human edge
The main tasks with no real AI use seen and no big speed-up expected. This is where your skill counts most today.
- Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.