Germany needs to recruit an additional 100,000 workers to meet the country’s solar expansion targets, according to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW). Speaking at industry fair Intersolar in Munich, BSW CEO Carsten Körnig stated that the country had around 65,000 workers by the end of 2022, Manager Magazin reports. “We will need an order of magnitude of around 165,000,” he said.
This calculation is based on the German government’s photovoltaic capacity expansion target of 26 gigawatts by 2026 – more than three times what was installed in total by the end of 2022. Last year, solar systems with a capacity of 7.4 gigawatts were installed, and this year it is expected to be between 9 and 11 gigawatts. However, the BSW has stressed that it does not believe the expansion target is unattainable.
In February, the BSW and the Skill Council of Green Jobs (SCGJ) signed an agreement to integrate skilled Indian workers in the German solar industry. A November 2022 report suggested that an additional 200,000 workers are needed if Germany is going to meet its energy transition goals.