Solar Is Scaling. The Workforce Isn't Keeping Up

Solar projects often stall during the recruitment phase, right after logistics and planning are complete. Experienced commissioning engineers are particularly scarce, as growing project demand has completely outpaced the available talent market.  

Unfortunately, this is delaying project timelines right now. It is becoming obvious that we are looking at a permanent shift in the market, not just a temporary phase that will pass.  

The Scale of the Shortfall

Solar PV now employs more people globally than any other renewable energy source. IRENA recorded 7.1 million solar PV jobs out of 16.2 million total renewable energy jobs in 2023. That's a significant workforce by any measure, and it's still being asked to grow at a pace that the training system hasn't been designed to support. 

In the EU, the sector employed 826,000 people at the end of 2023, which was a 27% increase on the previous year. According to SolarPower Europe, the European Union must secure 1 million solar jobs by 2027 to remain aligned with its capacity targets. An earlier version of that same projection had 1 million as a 2025 milestone. Deployment ambitions keep getting bigger, so the target keeps getting pushed back before the workforce can catch up. 

The UK is in a similar position. The UK government wants to hit 70GW of solar by 2035, but is approximately at 15GW right now. To bridge that gap, the industry needs to find significantly more electricians each year just to keep pace. And even that estimate is just the absolute minimum, meaning the most likely scenario will demand much more.  

With widespread talent shortages, companies that fail to adapt quickly risk losing out on top candidates. Recent McKinsey data highlights a severe labor deficit across the entire renewables sector, noting that millions of new workers are needed for roles ranging from field construction to project management. Ultimately, the booming solar industry is driving the majority of this global demand. 

The Roles Creating the Most Friction 

The hardest roles to fill are the ones that can instantly stall a project. Right now, on-site electricians and installers cannot keep up with the project pipeline. However, the bottleneck tightens even further at the leadership level. Finding project managers or commissioning engineers who can oversee the entire lifecycle, from grid connection to final design sign-off, remains a massive challenge.  

According to McKinsey, the real bottleneck for the green transition right now isn't a lack of ambition; it's the unfortunate reality of physical construction. Renewable projects are stalling everywhere because of severe operational strains. This slowdown has exposed a deep shortage of qualified engineers and commissioning teams, creating a massive skills gap that the private sector has no way of bridging by itself. By launching initiatives like Clean Energy Jobs, the new UK government has clearly recognised this shortage and committed the funding to fix it. However, this is a long-term solution. Training qualified engineers takes years, not weeks, meaning the industry will still face a tight squeeze in the meantime.  

Why Training Isn't Solving It Yet

Volume alone won't solve the problem. Increasing headcount must be paired with real technical skill, since rushing unqualified candidates into open roles only pushes severe risks further down the road. 

Unfortunately, standard training programmes cannot keep pace with current market demand. An electrician apprenticeship runs for around four years, and transitioning into a senior solar delivery role takes considerably longer. This means the talent entering the pipeline today won't be available for several years. 

As a result, the solar industry is trapped in a losing talent war against industries such as general construction, with both sectors desperately fighting over the same tiny pool of currently available workers. 

What It Looks Like on Pay

Pay is moving in the direction you'd expect when experienced candidates are scarce. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for solar PV installers at $51,860 as of May 2024, with employment in the sector projected to grow by 42% between 2024 and 2034. Around 4,100 openings per year are anticipated over that period, driven partly by expansion and partly by replacement as the existing workforce gets older.  

In the UK and across European markets the pressure is felt most directly in senior and specialist roles. Experienced project managers and commissioning engineers can afford to be highly selective. Consequently, candidates who move quickly without weighing competing offers are now the rare exception.  

What To Do About It

The organisations that tend to feel this most are the ones that start hiring when a project phase is already underway. By that time, candidates with the right background are usually already committed elsewhere, and the people who are available often come with salary expectations that reflect how few of them there are. 

Organisations that successfully navigate these shortages tend to plan far in advance. By entering the market before a vacancy becomes urgent, you can connect with passive candidates before everyone else starts pursuing them. Also, because local talent is in such short supply, it is critical to look abroad from day one, treating international hiring as a core strategy rather than a backup plan. 

In addition to looking abroad, it's worth considering candidates that come from adjacent disciplines. These candidates may not have solar-specific experience but often carry the technical foundation that makes them faster to develop than a new entrant. Alongside governments introducing initiatives like the UK's Clean Energy Jobs Plan, organisations must also invest in their own training pipelines. While hiring strategies might solve the urgent, immediate need, the long-term solution requires a shift in mindset. Over time, it is vital to build internal training programs and partner with local schools to secure a steady flow of high-quality electricians while developing their expertise.  

How VHR Works With Organisations Hiring in Solar

VHR is a specialist technical recruitment consultancy with a dedicated practice in Energy & Renewables. We support organisations hiring across solar energy, from development and construction through to asset management and operations, on both a permanent and contract basis. 

In practice, we keep an active network of candidates across the technical disciplines where hiring takes longest. These are roles where the best candidates are rarely looking, and where finding someone outside the active job market is often the only realistic option. 

If your organisation has roles that are not moving, a project phase on the 12-to-18-month horizon, or a workforce plan that needs testing against current market supply, you can find out more about how we work on our Energy and Renewables recruitment page. The earlier that conversation starts, the more useful we can be to your timeline.