Rise in jobs in Renewable sectors

In Context

  • According to a recent study, Eight-fold rise is seen in jobs in solar and wind energy sectors.
    • The study was jointly conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Natural Resources Defence Council India and Skill Council for Green Jobs.

Methodology

  • The report considered only full-time jobs which is calculated by a formula wherein a co-efficient, called FTE, for each sector solar rooftop, utility solar and wind was computed by dividing the time spent by an employee on a particular activity to the number of standard working hours in a year. 
  • These FTE numbers are used as coefficients to estimate the total workforce expected to be employed in the solar and wind energy project deployment process based on excess capacity added every year (MW).

Key Findings of the Report

  • India’s solar and wind energy sectors added 52,700 new workers in project development roles in the last financial year which is an eight-fold increase from financial year 2021.
    • India’s solar and wind energy sectors employed 1,64,000 workers as of FY’22, showing a 47% increase from FY’21.
    • Nearly 99% of the new workforce (52,100 workers) were employed in the solar energy sector. 
  • The study also pointed to a “huge shortage” of workers trained in upstream manufacturing segments such as making poly-silicon, ingots, wafers and cells. 
  • The bulk of the current jobs are in assembling solar modules.

Renewable Energy in India

  • India has a massive demand for energy to fuel its rapidly growing economy. 

From a power deficit nation at the time of Independence, the efforts to make India energy-independent have continued for over seven decades. 

  • Today, India is a power surplus nation with a total installed electricity capacity of over Four lakh MW.
  • India is the world’s third largest producer of renewable energy, with 40% of its installed electricity capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources.
  • In 2019, India announced that it would take up its installed capacity of renewable energy to 450 GW by 2030.
  • India is the 5th in the world regarding usable hydropower potential.
  • Solar energy remained the fastest-growing sector. India also  has the 4th largest wind power capacity in the world.

Source:TH