The recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic has stimulated increased uptake and adoption of renewable electricity. In 2021, for instance, renewable electricity generation rose by almost 7%, with private and commercial-based wind and solar PV technologies accounting for almost 90% of this growth.
This expansion is set to continue for the remainder of this decade, with a predicted 12% year-on-year annual growth between 2022 and 2030, prompted by the efforts of businesses to comply with the government’s Net Zero scenario in the UK.
2022 was a landmark year for the UK renewable energy sector, with an estimated 50% of electricity coming from non-carbon solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower sources across five months of the year, showing that individuals and businesses are serious about reducing their carbon footprint. As the transition continues, there will be an increasing need for commercial and domestic electricians who are trained and experienced in maintaining and implementing renewable energy technologies.
A Challenge And An Opportunity
The need for more renewable energy presents both a challenge and an opportunity for electricians. This a challenge because practising electricians will henceforth require a wider range of competencies and technical skills to address the needs of clients to install and maintain renewable power installations, and an opportunity to diversify their market into a niche field, gain more customers, and increase sales.
Investing in renewable energy skills today is a long-term investment for your career because the uptake of renewable energy is a long-term trend, not just a short-term initiative. Despite record renewable capacity additions, growth was still significantly behind the ambitious Net Zero milestone targets in 2021 – implying that year-on-year uptake of renewable technologies will increase beyond the predictions, rather than plateau or fall short.
What Are The Drivers For Change?
The renewable energy sector is driven by a range of technological innovations, including the development of new technologies that can be used to generate renewable energy – such as wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, and the increased demand for renewable energy due to environmental concerns and consumer usage factors.
These drivers for change include electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure, LED lighting, changes in building controls and smart systems, and the tightening of environmental regulations on homes and businesses. These incentives all provide the prompt for companies and individuals to invest in renewable energy and the new technologies that use them, helping to reduce emissions and create a more sustainable future.
Businesses and individual customers require competent electricians to service and maintain this technology. This is currently a problem in some areas of the country, as there are simply not enough qualified electricians to fill the surplus of demand that currently exists. According to some estimates, the UK will need an extra 15,000 electricians over the coming five years. For electrical specialists, this provides a unique opportunity to command a high market price for their services and expand into a lucrative niche without much competition from other electricians.
Invest In Your Career – Become A Qualified Electrician With PTT
With more people and businesses turning to clean energy sources every day, and UK wind power output topping 28.5 MW in 2022, there’s never been a better time to qualify as an electrician to get involved in the growing renewable energy sector. To find out more about the best and most cost-effective route to becoming a qualified electrician, please contact us today.
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