- 40% of Ahmedabad residents cite limited specialized training programs as key challenge in solar energy skill shortage
- 63.3% of Ahmedabad residents highlight lack of awareness about career opportunities as a major challenge in the solar industry
Ahmedabad, Nov 12: A survey conducted by Luminous Power Technologies titled ‘Solar Spectrum of New India’ revealed that Ahmedabad has shown a significant, 7.01%, increase in the installation of solar rooftop systems. The study further reveals that while all respondents from Ahmedabad believe the city has ideal weather conditions for successful implementation of rooftop solar, nearly 99.75% of Ahmedabad residents believe that solar rooftop systems can significantly enhance energy access in India.
Conducted to understand the consumer landscape with regards to solar adoption, the Solar Spectrum of New India survey report, interviewed 4,318 respondents amongst four age cohorts in 13 major cities of India.
The survey also identified key challenges in addressing the skill shortage, with 63.03% of Ahmedabad respondents pointing to a lack of awareness about career opportunities in the solar industry and 40% citing the limited availability of specialized training programs. Around 41.94% respondents from the city acknowledge the requirement of specialized skills, underlining the importance of skilled labour in this sector. To address these issues, Ahmedabad residents recommended enhancing collaboration between industry and educational institutions (47.64%) and implementing policies to promote skill development in renewable energies like solar power (38.46%).
Preeti Bajaj, MD & CEO of Luminous Power Technologies, shared her thoughts on the Solar Spectrum of New India survey, stating “Insights from the ‘Solar Spectrum of New India’ survey reveal a promising trajectory for solar energy adoption in cities like Ahmedabad. We are encouraged to see that 100% of respondents in Ahmedabad believe their city is ideally suited for solar power, reflecting the city’s favourable solar environment. The fact that nearly 99.75% of Ahmedabad residents recognize the potential of solar rooftop systems to enhance energy access in India. However, the survey also highlights critical challenges, including a significant gap in awareness about career opportunities in the solar industry and the need for specialized training programs.”
Preeti sheds light on the offerings and trainings by Luminous Power Technologies, “We are committed to addressing these challenges through our partnerships with financial institutions for affordable solar financing and our ‘Solar PV Installation Training’ program, which aims to upskill individuals across India. By enhancing collaboration between industry and educational institutions and promoting skill development, we can build a more skilled workforce and accelerate the transition to clean energy.”
Luminous has partnered with NBFCs like Ecofy and a leading fintech lender Credit Fair to offer affordable solar financing options to individuals, trust-run institutions, housing societies, and small and medium industries for installing clean energy systems. Luminous as part of their CSR project “Solar PV Installation Training” is also upskilling men & women across India to become solar technicians. The 400-hour course aims to provide a lucrative job avenue to the unemployed youth through development of industry-competent skills. It has been active in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka (Bengaluru), Jammu, Haryana (Kaithal), Maharashtra (Nagpur) and Sikkim (Rangpo). The trainees, upon completion, are being provided a Skill Certificate from NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation).
Methodology
The report is based on interviews with 4,318 respondents amongst four age cohorts as mentioned below across 5 metros: Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and 8 non-metros: Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna conducted between February 2024 to March 2024.
A random sample of 4258 respondents in the four age cohorts; Gen Z (age 18-22) Millennials (age 23-38) Gen X (age 39-54) & baby boomers (age 55-76) were interviewed, out of which 91 respondents were found to have solar rooftop systems. In addition to this 60 qualified respondents of solar rooftop owners were surveyed from 3 cities of high user ship. All the findings from our survey are supported by extensive secondary research across the country.