Global Solar Council (GSC) and Global Wind Organisation (GWO) have announced their partnership in creating standardized training protocols for the solar photovoltaic (PV) technician workforce. This initiative aims to meet the escalating demand for skilled personnel crucial for driving the global energy transition towards clean, renewable sources, particularly solar power.
Solar energy is projected to supply the majority of the required clean energy gigawatts essential for achieving the energy transition objectives. Consequently, there is an urgent need to ensure that the solar PV workforce is adequately trained and certified through trusted certification systems.
Early assessments conducted by GWO and GSC stakeholders have highlighted several benefits expected from establishing training standards, including reduced transaction costs, enhanced safety assurance, and increased productivity.
The absence of standardized training poses challenges for solar PV employers, making it difficult for asset owners and developers to endorse industry-endorsed safety training for their Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) suppliers. Drawing from the implementation of GWO standards for wind technicians in 2012, this initiative seeks to replicate and adapt the wind industry’s expertise, network, and experience to the solar PV sector.
The Solar Training Standards Initiative, a collaboration between GSC and GWO, will leverage the competencies and networks of both organizations to develop standards that ensure the safety, quality, and scalability of the solar PV workforce. Initial outputs of the initiative will include the development of standardized training modules covering common work processes, addressing hazards and risks encountered by utility-scale solar PV technicians.
Furthermore, the standardized training will align closely with guidelines and job role definitions established by leading representative bodies such as the American Clean Power Guidelines for Entry Level Solar Technician Training.
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, emphasized the necessity of a global standard to meet the anticipated surge in solar capacity, emphasizing the importance of universally recognized and transferable skills to reduce deployment costs and ensure quality installations for a sustainable energy transition.
Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the potential value it brings to stakeholders. He underscored the alignment of GWO and GSC’s core competencies and memberships, emphasizing the mutual benefit of leveraging each other’s strengths to support renewable power generation technologies.
The Global Solar Council (GSC) serves as the international association representing the solar energy sector, advocating for the maximization of solar PV deployment and addressing barriers to its widespread adoption across various markets and regions worldwide.