SOLAR ENERGY
Solar is the Latin word for sun—a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat, cool, and light our homes and businesses. That’s because more energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. A variety of technologies convert sunlight to usable energy for buildings. The most commonly used solar technologies for homes and businesses are solar water heating, passive solar design for space heating and cooling, and solar photovoltaics for electricity.
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Businesses and industry also use these technologies to diversify their energy sources, improve efficiency, and save money. Solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies are also being used by developers and utilities to produce electricity on a massive scale to power cities and small towns.
Basics
Solar energy is genesis for all forms of energy. This energy can be made use of in two ways the Thermal route i.e. using heat for drying, heating, cooking or generation of electricity or through the Photovoltaic route which converts solar energy in to electricity that can be used for a myriad purpose such as lighting, pumping and generation of electricity. With its pollution free nature, virtually inexhaustible supply and global distribution- solar energy is very attractive energy resource.Read more
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells by scientists, convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV gets its name from the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage), which is called the PV effect. The PV effect was discovered in 1954, when scientists at Bell Telephone discovered that silicon (an element found in sand) created an electric charge when exposed to sunlight. Soon solar cells were being used to power space satellites and smaller items like calculators and watches. Today, thousands of people power their homes and businesses with individual solar PV systems. Utility companies are also using PV technology for large power stations. Solar panels used to power homes and businesses are typically made from solar cells combined into modules that hold about 40 cells.
The panels are mounted at a fixed angle facing south, or they can be mounted on a tracking device that follows the sun, allowing them to capture the most sunlight. Many solar panels combined together to create one system is called a solar array. For large electric utility or industrial applications, hundreds of solar arrays are interconnected to form a large utility-scale PV system.
Employment Opportunities in Solar Sector
As India faces rising fuel demand, threats to energy security, and the impacts of climate change, Solar energy offers a critical solution. Innovative clean energy solutions, including large solar parks and rooftop solar panels in dense urban areas, can help solve these daunting challenges, while increasing energy access, creating jobs, and reducing toxic pollution.
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As per the reports shared by many Government and Private organizations on Occupational Mapping and Skill Gap Analysis, India needs to create 10 million new jobs every year in renewable energy sector, and the analysis also shows that as many as 1 million FTE (Full Time Equivalent) jobs could be created in Solar PV Sector if India achieves its target of 100 GW of installed solar energy by 2022.
Given the large employment generation potential of solar in India, a significant proportion of the Indian workforce would need to be trained with the necessary skills to support the market.
Skilling in Solar energy sector
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has made an effort to create the Skill Council for Green Jobs which is the responsible body to develop the qualification standards within India’s workforce, which shall prove effective in improving the quality of India’s employment market in the Solar PV Sector. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also been working in tandem with the Skill Council for Green Jobs to empanel various credible Training Institutions across the country for imparting quality training in Solar PV Technology.
MNRE by launching Suryamitra programme has integrated various renewable energy institutions, which could help broaden the accessibility of renewable energy education.
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