The solar energy industry in India is booming, thanks to the environmental concerns raised during the last four decades, leading countries across the globe to switch to non-renewable energy sources at an ever-faster rate than before. According to the statistics offered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, the installed capacity of solar energy in India has increased by 11 times between 2014 and 2019. India currently holds the fifth position in solar power deployment in the world, with an installed capacity of 30 GW. Solar tariffs in India are very competitive, as well.
Due to this rapid expansion in solar power installations, lakhs of jobs have been created in this sector. New companies have come up with numerous products in the market, and local R&D is making India one of the leading exporters of solar systems in the world.
This booming industry has plenty of job prospects and in this article, we provide insights into becoming a certified rooftop solar photovoltaic installer in India. It requires a great deal of expertise to install any solar system, and as the market for solar energy is fast expanding, so is the demand for certified solar system installers. Certificates act as proof of a person’s knowledge and expertise about solar PV installation. With the formal training that one gets for the certification, one can get employed with a number of leading players in the industry. In India, we have a number of institutes, both government and private, which offer certificate courses on how to become a solar PV installer. These institutes have different eligibility criteria, fee structures, course durations, course structures, etc.
In this article, we will discuss the various training programmes offered in solar PV installation by two different institutes in India - National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology, Aurangabad (NIELIT) and National Power Training Institute (NPTI). But before that, we will talk about the National Certification Course for Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Installer by Gujarat Energy Research Management Institute (GERMI), which is offered through a number of private partner institutes spread across India. Go through this article to find out how to become a certified rooftop solar photovoltaic installer in India.
The Gujarat Energy Research Management Institute (GERMI) is a registered not-for-profit organisation, and a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DISR) of Government of India. The organisation is also a Schedule-I Environmental Auditor recognised by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.
GERMI offers a National Certification Course for Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Installer, which serves as a decentralised platform to develop highly skilled and qualified rooftop solar PV installers, and also pave the way for them to become successful professionals in the field. The course aims to train and certify 10,000 rooftop solar PV installation technicians every year throughout India. Currently, GERMI has 6 partner institutes to offer training but in the course of time, it aims to foster 100 partner training centres, and help empower them by building their human resources and infrastructural capabilities. The aim is to bring the global and the local together, by imparting world-class and standardised skills to solar rooftop PV installers across the country. GERMI has obtained all requisite clearances from government, utility and statutory bodies for this certification programme. The partner training centres have competent trainers and skilled technicians, and GERMI constantly monitors the overall process. Furthermore, a number of leading industry partners exist for this programme which include prestigious players like Tata Power, BHEL, Adani Solar, etc. The programme aims to provide a skilled workforce to the solar energy sector to meet its targets.
The following is the eligibility requirements for joining this certification programme:
This is a vocational programme for rooftop solar PV installation and the course spans over a period of 3 months, or 12 weeks. The trainee needs to undergo 204 hours of training, which is divided between 96 theory hours and 108 practical hours.
Upon completing this course, the certified installer should be able to do the following things:
Established in 1987 in the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) is a premier public education institution. It is co-located inside the scenic campus of Dr. B.A.M. University and its campus spreads over more than 18 acres, with all kinds of facilities available for the students. In recent times, NIELIT has started offering a skill oriented Certificate Course in Solar Power Installation, Operation And Maintenance. The course offers expertise in the study of photovoltaic cells, system components, electrical circuits, solar system design, installation of solar PV modules in commercial buildings and homes, and so on. The course design comprises both theory and practical, and can effectively train people in developing skills related to rooftop solar photovoltaic installation. The combination of theoretical and practical knowledge will give the students the experience they need to be successful in this industry and perhaps even become entrepreneurs in the long run.
Choosing NIELIT for a certificate course on rooftop solar PV installation is beneficial for a number of reasons. Firstly, the institute conducts an independent and fair assessment through proctored online examination to determine the readiness of the trainees. Secondly, the certificates issued by the institute are linked with Digital Locker so that the prospective employers can easily verify them. Thirdly, the certificate course undertakes a project based teaching approach, emphasising on the latest industrial trends. You will also get the opportunity to learn from a highly qualified faculty and enjoy the best state of the art infrastructure. Finally, the NIELIT campus offers hostel facilities to its students, subject to availability.
Note that new batches are started during every even month of the year.
The fee structure of this certificate course is affordable, given the fact that this is a public institution. The following is the fee structure for this course:
Also note that no tuition fees are charged from meritorious SC/ST candidates.
Upon completing this course, the certified installer should be able to do the following things:
There are a number of employment opportunities that open up upon completing this course. It can help you become a self-employed entrepreneur; design electrical engineer for solar systems; area sales manager in solar, thermal and PV products; service in-charge, and so forth. You can learn more about this course here.
NPTI’s Skill Development Training Program on Renewable Energy is different from the two other certification programmes which we have talked about in this article. What makes this course different is its focus on renewable energy as a whole, rather than simply training students for installation of rooftop solar PV modules. This includes developing skills of the participants in various sources of renewable energy, including solar, wind, bio energy, small hydel power projects, etc. However, since this programme has a dedicated module on solar energy, the certification is fit for becoming a certified solar photovoltaic installer in India.
The module on solar energy is meant to train students in the following things:
Further, the students attending this programme are taken for a field visit to a solar power plant and also to a wind farm. The course offers an ample amount of theoretical and practical exposure to the students.
NPTI’s Skill Development Training Program on Renewable Energy is offered in two of NPTI centres, located respectively in Alappuzha, Kerala and Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh. You can visit NPTI’s website for more information on this programme.
Since this is a highly specialised course, its eligibility criterion differs from the two other certification programmes.
One must be a diploma or a graduate engineer to enroll in this certification programme.
Thus, in this article, we offered a detailed guide into how to become a certified rooftop solar photovoltaic installer in India. We discussed three different certification programmes which are currently offered by different institutes in India for becoming a certified solar PV installer. Go through this article thoroughly to get an idea about these programmes. If you are planning to undertake a course in solar PV installation, choose wisely, depending on your requirements, centre location, course duration, expectations from the course, etc.
