European Solar Academy
Towards the solar energy future
Urgent demand for solar skills in Europe
The EU targets almost 600GW of newly installed solar capacity by 2030, but a major skills gap stands in the way. The European Solar Academy equips you with the expertise to meet this urgent demand. Many solar industry roles, like construction and roofing, will become accessible through upskilling. Encouraging and facilitating lifelong training is essential, particularly for workers transitioning from other industries.
Skills solutions for the solar industry
At the European Solar Academy, we are committed to transforming the EU workforce for the solar industry. Our mission is to revolutionise upskilling and reskilling across the solar PV value chain, equipping SMEs and professionals with the expertise needed to meet industry demands. By enhancing workforce capabilities, we’re not just keeping up — we’re leading the charge toward a sustainable future.
The Advisory Council
The Advisory Council of the European Solar Academy brings together leading voices from industry, manufacturing, and policy to align solar training with Europe’s real workforce needs, ensuring education is directly connected to the demands of the full solar value chain. This collaboration helps Europe build the skilled workforce needed to deliver its solar ambitions.
Initiatives by the European Solar Academy
Solar PV training is currently fragmented across Europe, creating skill gaps and mobility barriers. The solution: the European Solar PV Credentials, the first EU-wide training and certification standard. Backed by leading training providers and industry partners, it ensures harmonised, high-quality skills, supports the full installer job family, and prepares a workforce set to reach 1 million by 2030 to power Europe’s energy transition.
Permitting remains one of the main bottlenecks to achieving Europe’s solar objectives and delivering projects on the ground. To help address this challenge, a new training has been launched for local and regional authorities under the European Solar Academy: Solar Project Permitting: Foundations. This initiative equips them with practical foundational knowledge to assess, authorise and enable solar projects more effectively.
Rebuilding Europe’s solar PV manufacturing capacity is essential to supply-chain resilience, and it depends on rebuilding the workforce behind it. PV module manufacturing lines are now highly automated, requiring fluency in automated systems, quality protocols and data-driven maintenance. This online, six-course programme provides baseline knowledge for operator and engineer roles, with each course awarding a micro-credential recognised across the EU.
Why is this important?
Skills in specialisations, material science and chemical engineering will be at the forefront. As solar panels evolve, manufacturing them with the highest‑quality materials will become a priority.”
Integrated photovoltaics with advanced energy management and batteries would require high technical skills and will be in high demand in the next five years.”
The two challenges related to reskilling and upskilling that we faced are the lack of in-depth technical knowledge of electrical systems and solar modules.”
Helping build the workforce needed to manufacture Europe’s net-zero technologies. Our focus is on:
Here is where you come in
We’re looking to support all parts of the solar PV value chain, so if you have expertise in manufacturing, deployment, operations and maintenance or decommissioning and recycling, we need your help to bridge the skills gap and design skilling solutions to equip workers with knowledge needed to excel in the solar industry.
Are you a training provider in solar PV?
Do you want to help us shape the future of solar education? Join us today to create impactful training experiences that drive industry innovation and growth. By acting swiftly and effectively, we strive to significantly impact the solar PV industry and the broader EU goals.
Are you a subject matter expert in solar PV?
Join us as we shape the future of solar energy education. We’re interested in hearing from you if you have expertise in any part of the solar value chain and an interest in helping to develop content.
Open Skills Hub
As part of the Community Programmes initiative by InnoEnergy Skills Institute, the Open Skills Hub delivers on our mission to enable access to clean tech education. As a close partner of the European Union, we play a key role in delivering the European Commission’s skills strategy. We run the Net Zero Industry Academies turning policy into action to ensure that citizens in Europe benefit from the transition.
Driving the Solar Revolution: Talent and Skills Shaping the Solar PV Sector
Europe’s solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is growing rapidly, leading the transition to a net zero future. However, this growth brings challenges — especially the need for a skilled workforce to drive innovation. Our report offers critical insights into the trends and skills shaping the solar industry. Whether you’re a business leader, policymaker, or solar professional, this report is essential to staying ahead.
Talent Pipeline as a Service
Talent Pipeline as a Service (TPaaS) is a flexible, end-to-end solution for recruiting, training, and certifying skilled clean tech talent. Turn hiring into a strategic advantage — scale your operations, close critical skills gaps, and tackle staffing challenges with confidence. Have talent on demand wherever and whenever you are.
Green Talent Accelerator
Green Talent Accelerator is a transformative framework designed to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in clean tech. It connects role-specific skills, curated training, and industry-recognised certifications into a structured system — helping you develop faster and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Community Programmes
Community Programmes educate, inspire, and accelerate clean energy adoption. Through collaboration and awareness, we ensure community acceptance and industry alignment. As an EU partner, we turn policy into action, delivering the European Commission’s skills strategy to benefit citizens across Europe.
Serving across industrial alliances
Latest resources
Solar Manufacturing Skills Gap: Europe’s Training Response
Davos 2026 takeaways: Job-ready talent & skills for the clean tech transformation
Building the Skills to Scale: Four Ways Clean Tech Leaders Can Future-Proof Their Workforce
The New Clean Tech Skillset: How Workers Can Stay Relevant in Interconnected Value Chains
Five Essential Lessons for Building Europe’s Solar Workforce
Scaling Europe’s Green Skills
