Human Capital And Large Scale PV Deployment

Abstract

Energy is one of the central parameters required for human survival after food. “Knowledge is power” and renewable energy plays increasingly important role to run knowledge-based society for sustainable social and economic development. Out of these, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system is a useful tool to run the knowledge based systems. Apart from research and development, PV systems need suitable human capital for its successful penetration into every nook and corner of the society. The main aim of the present paper is to address the quality and quantity of human capital need in future to bring the solar PV power in the world electric power budget. Analyses on the chronology of PV power systems indicated that PV would be equivalent to other conventional power sources by the year 2023. Proper implementation of PV power systems needs three levels of human capital and these are i. Skilled technicians ii. Experienced technologists and iii. Efficient executives. While the technicians would be involved in the installation, operation, maintenance and monitoring of solar PV systems, technologists need to provide the basis for the liberalization of PV systems and the executives need to develop its market, policy, planning and execution. Academic and research institutions need to develop these types of human capital to match with future demand of the PV power systems. Market and human capital are interdependent and the market for clean energy depends on issues like energy security, climate change, fossil fuel depletion, new and novel technologies and environmentally conscious consumers. The future PV market depends upon how powerful these forces are individually and collectively. Thus the PV communities need to build up human capital as well as newer market to generate demand for human resource for better dissemination of PV power.