Ready for the European Solar Industry Renaissance? INES embraces the Skills challenges!

In the context of a strategic Photovoltaic (PV) re-industrialization of Europe, the National Institute for Solar Energy (INES) with its Training and Expertise Platform is strongly involved in the development of training courses for upskilling and re-skilling the French and European workforce along the whole PV value chain. In particular, it is essential to educate the next generation of engineers, technicians and operators of the (re-)emerging European PV industry.

Indeed, we are aligned with the REPowerEU strategy from the European Commission (May 2022)[1] supporting the European Renewable and PV industry development. For instance, several PV Gigafactories are already under deployment in Italy (ENEL-3SUN – 3GW production capacity by 2024) and in Germany (MeyerBurger – 1.4GW by 2023). In France, the new start-up Carbon leads the initiative to create an integrated gigafactory of PV wafers, cells and modules (capacity of 5GW in 2025, then 20GW in 2030, which would involve 10000 employees)[2], while Holosolis[3], another PV Gigafactory, was announced recently to be built in Sarreguemines (Moselle, France). Holosolis will be fully operational from 2027 and will employ 1700 people. Furthermore, Voltec Solar and IPVF announced Gigafab plans of 5GW production capacity of next generation PK/Si Tandem photovoltaics by 2030[4]. This re-localisation of PV industry is a great opportunity for the creation of new jobs: re-developing 30-GW manufacturing capacity of solar PV technologies in Europe by 2025 would create 400 000 new direct and indirect jobs across the PV value chain[5]. In particular, the solar PV industry could create 1300 manufacturing jobs for each gigawatt of production capacity[6].

However, Europe has to be proactive looking at USA Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that aims at supporting the creation of more than 50GW of solar manufacturing capacity by the end of this decade[7], which could consequently slow down the PV industry current re-deployment in Europe. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of specialization in the solar industry across the supply chain. Therefore, INES takes an active part in supporting the European PV industry, anticipating the future huge training needs for upskilling/re-skilling in the labour market, as well as supporting vocations among students.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/repowereu-affordable-secure-and-sustainable-energy-europe_en

[2] https://www.carbon-solar.com/

[3] Holosolis - PV made in Europe, by Europeans for Europeans.

[4] French consortium to set up 5 GW factory for 4T tandem perovskite-silicon modules – pv magazine International (pv-magazine.com)

[5] https://www.solarpowereurope.org/advocacy/european-solar-initiative

[6] World Energy Employment Report – IEA (2022)

[7] https://www.pv-tech.org/us-could-exceed-50gw-of-solar-manufacturing-capacity-by-2030-thanks-to-ira-incentives-seia-says/

Accordingly, we actively participated in all the meetings of the Skills Working Group (#WGSkills) of the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA)[1]. The Alliance is one of the concrete initiatives of the EU Solar Energy Strategy, adopted in May 2022 as part of the REPowerEU Plan, which will help to reach (and exceed) the goal of 30 GW annual manufacturing capacity across the PV value chain by 2025.

The #WGSkills covered lots of challenges the industry is facing: lack of skilled people, reskilling and upskilling operators, technicians and engineers, foster the attractiveness of the solar industry, emergence of the new skills families, mobility of workers and  the need to develop a European Solar Academy.

In parallel, the National Institute for Solar Energy (INES) with its Training and Expertise Platform has developed new specialized training courses to support the development of the PV industry in France and in Europe[2]. These unique training courses are intended for a scientific audience, in particular for (future) technicians and engineers working in the PV industry research and development, aiming to upskill their expertise according to the latest research and industrial progresses and trends.

More concretely, these training courses aim to broaden their skills and knowledge by exploring the scientific and technological fundamentals of each fabrication step of PV cells and modules, from polysilicon raw material to module accelerated ageing and field results. Therefore, advanced skills on the whole PV manufacturing chain are acquired, with particular emphasis on innovations and developments in the short and medium term. The module-based programme is tailored according to desired level and availability time for training and benefit from INES infrastructures, including demonstrators, INES-PFE pedagogical platform and CEA-INES research laboratories tour.

[1] Home - European Solar PV Industry Alliance (solaralliance.eu)

[2] PV Cells and Modules: Scientific upskilling, technological advances and cutting-edge industrial manufacturing | INES - Institut National de l'Énergie Solaire (ines-solaire.org)