Employment

The European Commission has warned about the potential impact of trade measures on Europe’s renewable energy rollout, but has shied away from outlining emergency measures to address the continent’s solar manufacturing crisis.

Training and capacity-building become fundamental to effectively support the deployment of renewable energy technologies in Africa. For this reason, RES4Africa Foundation, under the umbrella of the RES4Africa Academy, provides multi-level capacity-building to guarantee open access, inclusivity, youth and women empowerment, linkages with industry and the labour market, and customization to local requirements, among others.

Dutch startup LionVolt has acquired AMTE Power’s battery cell production line in Scotland. It says it will use the assets for pilot production of its 3D solid-state thin-film batteries.

SolarEdge, an Israel-based inverter manufacturer, says it plans to cut about 900 jobs as part of a restructuring plan “designed to reduce operating expenses and align its cost structure to current market dynamics.”

The Australian authorities launched an investigation after an inverter burst into flames at the 30 MW Mannum Stage 2 solar farm, which is being developed near the town of Mannum, South Australia. A worker is now being treated in the hospital for burns.

EmPower Solar has furloughed 21 workers, citing a market slowdown, but the furloughed employees claim that the dismissals were retaliation for a recent pro-union vote by 49 staff members.

Solar industry expansion is racing ahead but shortages of skilled labor could derail progress. Long-term solutions are required to support further growth. Benoit Ribeaud, partner at Everoze, explores how a workforce bottleneck is affecting the solar industry and calls for more action to alleviate recruitment pressure.

As solar module prices continue to drop to record lows, amid global oversupply, questions are being asked about how much inventory is sitting in European warehouses and when normal levels will return. With numerous estimates and assumptions swirling, EUPD Research’s Markus A.W. Hoehner and Ali Arfa have looked closely at the numbers in an attempt to provide a transparent view of the issue.

The PV industry in Southeast Asia has come a long way since guest author Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, partner at Everoze, reported on solar financing innovation in the region more than a decade ago. In this article, she outlines five factors for success, the newest of which has the potential to become a game changer, and not only in Southeast Asia.

French researchers have identified a number of potential social issues that may arise as North Africa develops its significant hydrogen potential, while the European Commission has released the details of its pilot auction for European renewable hydrogen production.