6/9/2010

Training and certification

of PV installers in Europe
The IEE project PVTRIN

Stavroula Tournaki
Chemical Engineer MSc, Senior Advisor

IEE/09/928/SI2.558379
1/05/2010 -30/4/2013

The PVTRIN Scope

Development of a training and accreditation
scheme for technicians/electricians,
focused on the installation and maintenance
of small scale PV

Aim: to set the base for the adoption of a

common accepted -within EU countries-
certification scheme

Duration: June 2010 – May 2013

Countries: Greece, Belgium/EU, Bulgaria,

Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Spain, UK

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The Challenge
‰ to provide the key components for a common
qualification framework, an appropriate training
methodology gy and a transparent
p and clearly
y defined
accreditation route
‰ to configure a competent PV installers’ workforce
according common -multinational- accepted criteria and
standards
‰ to encourage a greater number of technicians to
advance their professional skills and knowledge
‰ tto ensure the
th quality
lit off PV/BIPV iinstallations
t ll ti and
d to
t
defend PV technology’s credibility from poor
demonstrations.

Medium-Long Term Benefits

• Common quality standards on PV installers training,
throughout EU Member States
• Competent installers in a continuously growing
market
• More confidence to the technology (as opinion
leaders, investors, planners and consumers are
concerned)
• Healthy development of PV markets in participating
country
y
• Reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions

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Background
• The large up-take of RES installations requires significant number
of highly-qualified installers to ensure a good functioning of
systems
• M k t are growing
Markets i faster
f t than
th the
th qualified
lifi d PV installers
i t ll force
f
• PV qualification profiles and evidence of skills are required;
generally installers are lacking training for complex systems and
new technologies/products
• Developers/ Designers/Users/Potential users seek for skills’
certification and quality assurance throughout the development of
a PV/BIPV application (design, installation, and maintenance) to
ensure high performance of their system
• Lack of accredited training and certification schemes for PV
installers in most EU countries
• EU policy forcing for acknowledged certification schemes

The PV market growth scenarios until 2030

EU‐27 Annual  PV power installed (GW) Cumulative PV power installed (GW)

Year  Moderate  Advanced  Moderate  Advanced 
implementation  implementation
implementation implementation  implementation
implementation  implementation 
implementation
2005  0.9 0.9  2 2
2020  12 39 98 291
2030  20 65 274 860
Source: PV-Employment 2009

EU‐27 BIPV installed (MW)
2008
2008  33
2020 7.203

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The PV employment projections

World PV employment projections   
Installation/maintenance jobs

EU‐27 PV JOBS CALCULATIONS
2007 2010 2020 2030
Installation/wholesale 71.298  147.500  578.890  880.351 
Production/Research/Supply 8.642  23.533  148.066  529.324 
Total EU‐27 Jobs 79.940  171.033  726.956  1.409.676
Source: PV-Employment 2009

PVTRIN’s ambition
‰ to assist the market to overcome the barrier of the
lack of competent PV installers
‰ tto facilitate
f ilit t the
th EU MS to
t meett their
th i obligations
bli ti for
f
acknowledged certifications for RES installers
according to the 2009/28/EC Directive
‰ to achieve the replication of the training and the
wider adoption of the certification scheme in EU level
‰ to defend PV technology’s credibility from poor
demonstrations

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PVTRIN supports EU policy and targets

• PVTRIN mainly addresses to the 2009/28/EC Directive
on the promotion of the use of energy from RES*,
incorporating
p g the criteria set for q
qualification schemes,,
certified training courses and accredited training
providers in each MS (article 14, Annex IV)

*“Member States shall ensure that certification schemes or

equivalent qualification schemes become or are available by
31 December 2012 for installers of small-scale biomass boilers
and stoves, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems,
shallow
h ll geothermal
h l systems anddhheat pumps. Each
h Member
b
State shall recognise certification awarded by other Member
States in accordance with those criteria”.

PVTRIN Beneficiaries
PVTRIN mainly focuses to the PV installers/technicians,
assisting them to:
ƒ i
improve their
th i technical
t h i l skills/knowledge
kill /k l d
ƒ obtain a competitive professional advantage
ƒ find opportunities in the EU job market
ƒ get technical support through 24/7 access to a
“technical library”
ƒ distinguish themselves through the certified installers
database
d t b

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PVTRIN Beneficiaries
Also addresses to:
• PV installation owners and potential customers
• Engineer, developers, constructors
• Policy and decision makers
• Vocational/Technical training organisations
• Students in RES field

The whole PV industry

y and the community y will benefit from
projects outcomes and direct deliverables

Key actors to be involved

• PV Industry (producers, wholesalers and
intermediaries)
• Professional associations
• Constructors and engineers
• Academic bodies/ technical training
organisations
• Accreditation bodies
• Energy agencies

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Strategic objectives
• Accomplish the acknowledgement and/or adoption of the
developed certification scheme in the EU MS
• Provide
P id professional
f i l competitive
titi advantage
d t tto ttrained
i d
technicians/installers, through the improvement of their
technical skills/knowledge on PV/BIPV installations and their
certification;
• Promote quality criteria on PV installations, in order to increase
credibility on PV/BIPV’s installation and maintenance and to
raise developers’, planners’ and potential users’ confidence;
• Boost PV/BIPV installations in participating countries

PVTRIN ACTION PLAN 1

• Comparative analysis of industry/market needs on PV/BIPV
installation and maintenance through Europe
• Definition of professional frameworks for PV installers and
development of an appropriate training methodology
• Development of the training material for installers and
trainers; also appropriate training tools and an e-learning
platform for a flexible and adaptable training procedure
• Development of a transparent and clearly defined certification
scheme -focused on small-scale applications, in order to
accredit the trainingg course for installers and to p
provide
common quality standards within EU countries. (incorporating
the criteria set by the 2009/28/EC and taking into account
national legislation/framework)

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PVTRIN ACTION PLAN 2

• Implementation of pilot training courses in 6 participating
countries, resulting to a pool of skilled and certified PV
installers in the participating countries
• Evaluation of the main developed methodologies, materials and
tools, in order to ensure that the project’s outcomes will match
the pre-decided quality standards
• Dissemination activities and networking throughout the
European countries. Establishment of a mechanism to facilitate
transferability, replication and exploitation of projects
d li
deliverables
bl
• Development of a roadmap for the adoption and
implementation of the certification scheme across Europe

Expected outputs and results

• Accredited training courses and training providers in participating
countries;
• An operational certification scheme for PV installers;
• Practical training material/tools for installers and their trainers;
• Web portal offering access to a wide range of technical information
on PV installation/integration, practical tools, handbooks, best
practices and troubleshooting, legislative and financing issues, etc.;
• A pool of skilled, certified PV installers, in participating countries;
• 8 Pilot training courses implemented, with at least 160 participants;
• Certification Documentation presented to policy / decision makers
throughout Europe;
• Increased awareness for the benefits of engaging certified installers;
• A roadmap for the adoption of the certification scheme across Europe

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Expected outputs and results

Long term, PVTRIN will
• contribute to the PV/BIPV market growth in the participating
countries
• facilitate job mobility within Member States
• provide a supporting instrument for EU MS to meet their
obligations for acknowledged certifications for RES installers
till 31/12/2012
• enforce the MS efforts to achieve the mandatory target of a
20% share of energy from RES in overall Community energy
consumption by 2020.

Partners and Participating Countries

Project Partners Country
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CRETE
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING dpt GREECE
RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS LAB
EUROPEAN PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION EU / BELGIUM

FUNDACIÓN ROBOTIKER SPAIN

BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT LTD UK

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CHAMBER OF CYPRUS CYPRUS

TECHNICAL CHAMBER OF GREECE - WESTERN CRETE GREECE

AGENCY OF BRASOV FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY

ROMANIA
AND ENVIRONMENT
ENERGY INSTITUTE HRVOJE POŽAR CROATIA

SOFIA ENERGY CENTRE BULGARIA

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Contact us
… PVTRIN Coordinator:

Theocharis Tsoutsos
Associate Professor, Lab director
University Campus, Kounoupidiana
73100 Chania,, Greece
Tel: +3028210 37825, fax:+3028210 37861
theocharis.tsoutsos@enveng.tuc.gr
www.enveng.tuc.gr

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