Europe’s photo voltaic trade wants to handle expertise shortages, provide chain challenges and allowing obstacles to construct on final yr’s robust set up numbers, in keeping with PV trade consultants. .
The continuing vitality disaster coupled with elevated demand for company energy buy agreements has boosted Europe’s PV sector to new heights, however 2023 poses extra challenges, trade executives say. feedback despatched to PV Tech forward of the Photo voltaic Finance & Funding Europe occasion subsequent month.
With the variety of photo voltaic jobs throughout the EU set to a minimum of double by 2030, the bloc’s Photo voltaic Vitality Technique acknowledges that there’s a scarcity of expert employees, as employers battle to safe the perfect expertise.
“There’s a feeling throughout the sector that we face an unprecedented abilities scarcity, particularly on the subject of recruiting younger expertise and with the ability to retain them in corporations,” he stated. by Monika Paplaczyk, funding director at funding agency Thrive Renewables.
He referred to as on the trade to encourage renewables to draw engineers, installer designers, technicians and digital specialists, whereas additionally working to develop employees within the oil and gasoline sector who wish to change to renewable vitality. .
The same view is taken by Shaheer Hussam, senior director of Europe at software program firm Clear Energy Analysis, who describes an insufficiently deep expertise pipeline as the principle unknown long-term risk for photo voltaic and vitality storage sectors in Europe.
“We have to rethink our strategy to expertise amongst European vitality transition researchers, operators and traders, and contemplate a mannequin just like Silicon Valley or NYC, centered on drawing of the perfect and brightest from world wide of their universities, corporations and funds. ,” stated Hussam.
Regardless of this abilities scarcity, EU photo voltaic deployment has elevated by virtually 50% year-on-year by 2022, bringing the full photo voltaic fleet as much as 209GW.
The photo voltaic sector in Europe is about for robust development within the close to time period, in keeping with Brent Wanner, head of the electrical energy sector unit on the Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA). He stated sooner renewable deployment might be unlocked by addressing challenges associated to allowing procedures, grid entry and planning, whereas additionally offering long-term coverage help visibility.
The IEA referred to as for extra simplified renewables permits as a part of a 10-point plan revealed final yr aimed toward serving to the EU scale back its dependence on Russian gasoline. The European Fee has since unveiled plans to take away administrative crimson tape round allowing and deployment, permitting renewables to be fast-tracked into operation.
Different considerations raised by European PV gamers are over-reliance on gear imports and lack of accountability by way of environmental, social and company governance (ESG) points.
If Europe doesn’t enhance module, inverter and tracker manufacturing, “the vitality transition will probably be in danger”, stated Timo Moeller, managing director of operations and upkeep supplier NovaSource Energy Companies. “We have to create a framework that makes it engaging for photo voltaic manufacturing corporations to construct module, inverter, racking and different BOS capacities within the European Union.”
This week the EU unveiled its Inexperienced Deal Industrial Plan, a multi-pronged strategy to advertise renewable vitality and clear expertise improvement that has been nicely acquired by trade. It follows on from the Photo voltaic Stewardship Initiative – launched final October by commerce associations SolarPower Europe and Photo voltaic Vitality UK – to make sure transparency and accountable manufacturing all through the PV worth chain.
Thrive Renewables’ Paplaczyk stated the initiative was a step in the precise route, including: “We wish to see extra accountability throughout the sector on the subject of ESG, making certain the availability chain is honest, inclusive and respect folks and the planet.”
Regardless of ongoing challenges, the photo voltaic trade has entered an “extraordinary new part of development”, stated Michele Appendino, CEO of impartial energy producer Photo voltaic Ventures. “Many uncertainties stay, however there isn’t any turning again: if we change fossil fuels with renewable vitality, we will scale back vitality costs, scale back emissions and decrease future dangers of local weather change.”
The prospects and challenges of the European PV trade will take heart stage at Photo voltaic Media’s tenth annual Photo voltaic Finance & Funding Europe occasion (London, 1-2 February 2023). Go to the web site for extra info.
