Page 15 - Climate Control News magazine Oct-Nov 2022

In Focus
Australia to become clean energy superpower
AUSTRALIA HAS THE skills and talent to become a clean energy superpower but it will require significant training and education to design, build and operate modern energy infra- structure for the 21st century.
A Monash University report entitled Skilling the Energy Transition found Australia’s clean energy sector is unprepared for a period of extraordinary growth expected in the next two decades.
The report explored pathways into the clean energy workforce and provided a clear set of rec- ommendations to address the barriers that limit the pool of skills and talent entering the industry.
“OPPORTUNITY COMES KNOCKING ONCE IN A GENERATION.”
The Australian clean energy industry cur- rently employs around 30,000 people across large-scale renewable energy construction, operation and maintenance, and small-scale rooftop solar design and installation.
An additional 50,000 jobs will be created in the clean energy sector over the next 20 years but there are already shortages across many aspects of the existing workforce, particularly when it comes to engineers and electricians.
ENERGY TRANSITION RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE:
• Calibrate higher education to meet clean energy industries' interests.
• Anticipate clean energy workforce needs.
• Raise the profile of working in clean energy
as an opportunity for all Australians.
• Establish a Transition Authority.
• Enhance the Vocational Education and
Training sector's capacity to understand
and meet the demands of industry.
• Raise the international profile of Australia
and support increased transfer of international skills and capacity, so Australia becomes a global centre of clean energy expertise.
This shortfall could inhibit the enormous potential for job creation in clean energy, accord- ing to the deputy director of the Monash Energy Institute, Dr Roger Dargaville.
He said skills shortages have already delayed the construction of new clean energy projects.
“The problem is that the clean energy work- force is highly skilled,” Dargaville said.
“About 25 per cent of this workforce require postgraduate qualifications compared to only 10 per cent in the general workforce.
“Out of the 56 skill sets identified as being in short supply, 37 require a university qualification.
“Not so long ago the main barrier to uptake of renewable energy was economic viability. Today the biggest bottleneck is finding enough people with the right skills,” he said.
“The renewable energy transition is now in full swing with an average of 6 gigawatts of new util- ity scale and rooftop plant being built and installed each year. There is no time to delay.”
Clean Energy Council CEO, Kane Thornton, said opportunity comes knocking once in a generation
"Now is the time to take stock and put in place measures to ensure that people and jobs are a focus of this transition,” she said.
The 2022 ISP outlines the case for building 141 GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity, 63 GW of storage and hydro capacity, and 69 GW of small-scale solar and household batter- ies needed by 2050 to maintain reliability and keep prices down.
“This represents a ninefold increase in large- scale renewable generation installed in the National Electricity Market and a fivefold increase in small-scale generation,” Thornton said.
ABOVE LEFT: (L-R) Monash Energy Institute deputy director, Dr Roger Dargaville.
Clean Energy Council CEO, Kane Thornton.
BELOW: A female engineer working in the clean energy sector.
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022
15