Human Resource in Renewable Energy
The renewable energy sector in India employs a total of 719,000 individuals, both directly and indirectly, positioning it as the fourth-largest employer globally. Since 2015, it has seen the creation of 303,000 jobs. Hydropower alone accounts for 48 percent of renewable energy employment in India, employing 347,000 people, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Solar PV follows as the second-largest employer, sustaining over 115,000 jobs directly and indirectly, constituting 16 percent of renewable energy employment. Other sectors such as biogas, solid biomass, wind power, and liquid biofuels collectively employ 261,000 people, with each contributing to varying degrees.
During a COP26 seminar titled “Changing the Climate for the Most Vulnerable: Lessons on Climate Resilience in India, from Green Villages to Cool Cities,” NRDC, in collaboration with the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) and Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), disseminated their report titled “India's Expanding Clean Energy Workforce: Opportunities in the Solar and Wind Energy Sectors.” This report underscores India’s evolving climate goals. Their research, focusing on solar and wind employment in 2020-21 and the employment prospects associated with India's 500 GW target, reveals that smaller-scale solar initiatives, like solar PV or distributed renewable energy, generate more jobs domestically and globally. These decentralized positions, often situated in rural areas, could offer economic opportunities to marginalized populations.
Moreover, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report suggests that India's transition to a net-zero economy by 2070 could yield 50 million jobs and over $1 trillion in economic opportunities by 2030.
However, a report by the Institute of Energy Management and Research highlights a critical issue in securing a skilled workforce: the inadequacy of training infrastructure. While thermal induction infrastructure is satisfactory, infrastructure for hydro and power system induction is severely lacking. Merely 3% of the required capacity for refresher training is available, significantly hampering the ability to find appropriately skilled individuals. Furthermore, only 4% of the current demand for management training is met by existing infrastructure. This shortage significantly impacts organizational decision-making, efficiency, and overall effectiveness, particularly in a rapidly evolving business landscape. In such a scenario, there is a pressing need to prioritize the development of management skills that encompass economic, social, and environmental aspects of industrial management.
The solar energy sector presents a domain that has received relatively less attention regarding HRM practices and recruitment strategies, thereby presenting significant HR challenges for companies operating within this industry. It is recommended to enhance employee job satisfaction, refine human resource management practices and strategies, and bolster training initiatives and research institutes within the solar energy sector. This, in turn, aims to attract a more skilled workforce and foster greater productivity and efficiency. It is advocated that educational institutions adopt a practical approach to teaching, particularly in the context of solar energy courses, and collaborate with industry players to refine course structures and offer practical-based education. Such measures are envisaged to equip students with the requisite skills and enhance their employability prospects in the solar energy industry.
Cameron et al. (2015) conducted a study exploring the job potential of various energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, as well as traditional sources like nuclear, hydropower, and coal. The study evaluated their potential for job creation across different geological formations and depths. Findings revealed that renewable energy sources, including wind and photovoltaic (PV), despite having lower capacity factors compared to traditional sources, exhibit a greater potential to generate employment. This is evidenced by the comparison of job creation per unit of energy produced. Enhanced primary data collection on the employment intensity of conventional generating technologies would bolster the credibility of claims regarding the net employment benefits of renewables.
For future research, there is scope to delve into recruitment and selection processes within the solar energy industry to gain deeper insights into their dynamics. Investigating these aspects comprehensively would enable researchers to develop a nuanced understanding of recruitment mechanisms and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, attention can be directed towards examining selection criteria alongside recruitment criteria for future research endeavors.
