Solar industry development gets boost

MANILA, Philippines — Global renewable energy developer, service provider and distributor BayWa r.e. Solar Trade has teamed up with educational platform New Energy Academy to help accelerate the development of the country’s solar industry.

The partnership, a first of its kind between a globally renowned renewable energy company in the Philippines and an international educational institute, enables the offering of training modules for solar industry professionals in the country.

It will see New Energy Academy and BayWa r.e. leveraging combined skills and resources to develop and roll out certification programs for businesses and applied technologies in the renewable energy sector.

This will include the upskilling of rooftop solar installers and engineering, procurement, and construction companies in the Philippines.

“BayWa r.e. Solar Trade is committed to the solar industry for the long-term. We are confident that we will be able to bring out expertise to the table to uplift the solar industry and bring like-minded individuals to benefit the Philippines’ energy transition,” BayWa r.e. managing director Junrhey Castro said.

New Energy Academy is an educational platform offering training and qualification for solar professionals through technical and business training, hands-on practical experience, and access to solar design and sales software.

As part of the partnership program, BayWa r.e. and New Energy Academy will conduct online training modules over a duration of eight weeks.

Workshops throughout the country will likewise be conducted to better enable solar professionals with the right skills needed for their business capabilities, while encouraging engineering students to learn about solar, get into the industry, and adopt the exciting new technologies on offer.

“With the solar industry growing, we noticed a need for the continual education and upskilling of solar professionals in our line of work, distributing and servicing inverters, solar modules, including the installation and commissioning of projects, large and small,” Castro said.

“As an industry, we need to make sure that there is proper certification for installers, with the government ensuring there are certification procedures in the qualification of solar installations,” he said.

Castro said the company hopes the partnership will pave the way for these certification procedures.

“The solar industry is wide, diverse and growing, and we want to be a part of the process in upskilling the technical know-how of installers. In driving the transition to renewable energy in the Philippines, we need to arm our professionals with adequate skills and knowledge such as keeping them up to date on the rapidly changing technology in the solar industry, while ensuring that they know the correct protocols for safe design and installation,” he said.