What is an electrotechnical engineer, and what’s their responsibility in building your home?

Last Updated on July 10, 2023 By Emma W. Thomas

An electrotechnical engineer is a professional who specializes in electrical engineering and technology. They are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining electrical systems and equipment. In the context of building a home, an electrotechnical engineer is involved in the electrical planning and installation process, ensuring that the home has a safe and efficient electrical system.

Responsibilities of electrotechnical engineers in the building process

The responsibilities of electrotechnical engineers in the building process include:

• Electrical System Design: Developing plans and layouts for electrical systems in buildings, considering factors such as power distribution, lighting, safety, and energy efficiency.
• Electrical Load Calculation: Determining the power requirements for various areas of the building to ensure that the electrical system can handle the expected load.
• Wiring and Circuitry: Designing the wiring layout, specifying the types of cables, and determining the routing of electrical circuits to ensure proper distribution of electricity throughout the building.
• Compliance with Regulations: Ensuring that the electrical system meets all relevant building codes, safety standards, and regulations established by local authorities.
• Equipment Specification: Selecting and specifying electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, switches, outlets, and lighting fixtures, based on the requirements of the building and its occupants.
• Coordination with Other Professionals: Collaborating with architects, contractors, and other engineering disciplines to integrate the electrical system seamlessly into the overall building design.
• Installation Supervision: Overseeing the installation process to ensure that electrical components are installed correctly and in compliance with the design plans and safety standards.
• Testing and Inspection: Conducting tests and inspections to verify the functionality, safety, and performance of the electrical system, including conducting electrical measurements and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
• Energy Efficiency: Recommending and implementing energy-efficient solutions, such as LED lighting, smart controls, and renewable energy systems, to optimize the building’s energy consumption.
• Documentation and Maintenance: Creating documentation, including electrical drawings, specifications, and maintenance guidelines, to assist in future repairs, upgrades, and maintenance of the electrical system.

These responsibilities ensure that the electrical system in the building is designed, installed, and maintained properly, meeting the required standards of safety, functionality, and efficiency.

Differences between electrotechnology and electrical engineering in the building process

You may find it challenging to distinguish between electrotechnology engineering and electrical engineering. It has been a significant challenge for many people to differentiate between them. We are sure that at the end of this article, you will be well-versed and know the existing differences between these two branches of engineering.

Electrical technology	Electrical engineering
It studies technology, machines, equipment, and systems that control electrical charges and produce electricity. Also, it can be defined as the study of electrical distribution systems that conduct the amount of energy received by a machine or an appliance, such as a control system or an energy converter.	It studies equipment design, systems, and devices that operate using electricity. Electrical engineers research and handle all the components of an electric system and the equipment required for electronic communication, power generation, and energy distribution.
It’s challenging to get a school that offers a master’s degree in electrical technology; however, you can pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering technology if you are interested in higher education. This degree will provide you with the required knowledge in the development, maintenance, and installation of the complex electrical systems required in the building process. Having this master’s degree gives you plenty of opportunities as you can work as an electrician in the service field or do an engineering role such as circuit or electrical engineering.	The degrees in electrical engineering focus more on planning, designing, and developing electrical systems. Students taking this degree can operate electrical systems such as radars and motors better, and once an electrical system is installed, they can test it. If you want to be an electrical engineer, you can pursue a degree in electrical engineering, which courses cover circuit and electrical design tools, equipment, and technical writing.
Electrical engineers possess the following skills to help them perform their duties perfectly; Innovation: these engineers have high creativity, which they use to design innovative electrical systems that had or had not been previously created. Analytical: electrical engineers have analytical skills, which they use in the manufacturing process of electrical systems to analyze equipment in the building to ensure the process is safe and efficient. Teamwork: When building, electrical engineers collaborate with others in planning and creating blueprints for electrical systems.Data collection: these professionals conduct tests to gather and study data to help them identify the strengths and weaknesses of a new system.	Most schools offer master’s degrees in electrical engineering, with several programs master’s degrees offering coursework that focuses on advancing electrical engineering skills required in the building process. Being a holder of a master’s degree in electrical engineering, you can easily qualify for management positions.
Professionals in electrical technology require the following skills to perform their duties diligently; Technical skills; to help them use the required tools to perform their jobs at a top level. Problem-solving; these skills will help them do repairs on malfunctioning wiring systems effectively. Mathematics; to do proper wiring, you need to have this skill to help you determine the correct angle of wires in the building. Detail-oriented; wiring systems are hazardous, and professionals in this field should pay attention to details to safely handle wiring in the building process.	Electrical engineers possess the following skills to help them perform their duties perfectly; Innovation: these engineers have high creativity, which they use to design innovative electrical systems that had or had not been previously created. Analytical: electrical engineers have analytical skills, which they use in the manufacturing process of the electrical systems to analyze equipment in the building to ensure the process is safe and efficient. Teamwork: When building, electrical engineers collaborate with others in planning and creating blueprints for electrical systems.Data collection: these professionals conduct tests to gather and study data to help them identify the strengths and weaknesses of a new system.

What does an electrotechnical engineer study?

Electrical technology programs are primarily for an associate degree or lower, with some schools offering certificates and shorter diploma programs. A two-year degree program is good for you to go with as it gives graduates a wide range of career opportunities and coursework that will help them transfer to a four-year degree. Most curricula and courses are similar, but they may vary by school. You’ll be taught circuits, electrical theory and equipment, practical skills, math, and physics. You will also be required to learn about general education courses like social sciences, English, composition, and humanities. To add to that, programs may also have workplace safety courses.

Electrical technology courses in a two-year program

These courses may include;  

• Basics of electricity or electrical theory: in the introductory part of your course, you’ll be taught about the basics of electricity, including resistance, inductance, circuits, voltage, magnets, and the laboratory components where you learn how to use meters and other equipment.
• Motors and generators: this is part of the course where you’ll learn about electrical systems’ essential elements, including both the direct and alternating current. In this class, expect to get hands-on with equipment
• Industrial motor and drive control: In this class, you will be introduced to the circuits and drive motors and the know-how they are designed and installed.
• Advanced electricity and theory: this course is taught as a level I and level II class in most programs, with the latter class including more advanced topics such as practical applications, circuits, and the design of electrical systems.
• Programmable logic controllers: most industrial settings make use of Programmable Logic Controllers in the automation of processes. In this class, you will learn how to use them and how they work, and install them.
• Hydraulics and pneumatics: you will be introduced to the theory of hydraulics and fluid power pneumatics and be taught how to apply them in industrial settings and other practicals.

To add to the primary electrical courses, you can choose other elective courses. Some of the programs have an area of specialization such as automation or robotics and have various additional specialty courses. The different techniques you may take include:

• Automation controls
• Power transmission
• Robotics
• Power transmission
• Computer-aided design
• Computer information systems
• Electrical systems in building
• Instrumentation systems
• Welding
• Renewable and sustainable energy systems

Electrical technology courses in a four-year degree program

Most careers do not require this program, and many people do it with the main focus of meeting the ongoing education requirements. If you hope to work with electrical engineers or in a management position, learning this program will be a great move. If you have an associate degree, you can later apply for credits for this program. Courses taught in four-year programs in electrical technology are the same as those taught in the two-year program plus other classes. This degree has some more critical general requirements, as you will need to take up to 60 credits, with some of the courses being required and others will be elective. In addition to this, the four-year degree program will require you to take advanced classes in math and physics, where the second semester will be of math courses that include trigonometry and calculus, and physics. Have a look at some of the advanced degree-related programs you can take:

• Experimental design
• Electric power systems
• Electronic communications
• Trends and applications in electronics
• Computer programming
• Electrical design
• Digital circuits and design
• Engineering
• Sensors and signals
• Project management
• Embedded systems design
• Database applications
• Quality management
• Microprocessors

To do a four-year program, you’ll have to meet credit requirements, which include doing a research project or work experience.

How much does an electrotechnical engineer make?

As of May 2022, these engineers in the united states were earning an average salary of $73,273 a year. From a simple calculation, they make approximately $35.23/hour, $1,409/week, or $ 6,106/month. This pay varies according to the level of skills, years of experience, and location. Below is a list of top cities in the US that are paying high average salaries;

City	State	Annual salary
Fremont	California	$90,787
San Jose	California	$88,200
Oakland	California	$87,203
Tanana	Alaska	$86,861
Wasilla	Alaska	$86,860
Hayward	California	$85,376
Jackson	Wyoming	$85,232
Norwalk	Connecticut	$85,024
Seattle	Washington	$84,783
Sunnyvale	California	$84,739

Conclusion

As we conclude this article, we hope that we have done our best and answered your question to the best of our knowledge and given you other relevant information that we think will help you as you look forward to doing electro-tech engineering in the building process.

https://www.coursera.org/articles/electrical-engineer#:~:text=Electrical%20and%20electronics%20engineers%20design,or%20renewable%20energy%20power%20grids.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering