Sri Lanka’s renewable-energy programme may be heading towards an uncomfortable paradox: the country is preparing to install solar power faster than it can prepare the people required to install it properly.
The Government’s target of generating 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 demands an extraordinary expansion of solar capacity. According to PUCSL Chairman Prof. K.P.L. Chandralal, around 600 megawatts of solar capacity must be installed annually, requiring approximately 5,000 qualified technicians every year.
Hitherto the existing industry already reveals a structural weakness.
More than 1,000 companies are licensed by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority to import and install solar systems, while about 10,000 people are employed in the sector. Despite this sizeable workforce, many workers reportedly do not possess recognised professional qualifications.
That raises a fundamental question about the speed and quality of Sri Lanka’s renewable-energy transition.
The danger is that the country could measure success primarily through installed megawatts while paying insufficient attention to who installs those systems and according to what standards.
Solar technology is often presented as a relatively straightforward route towards cleaner and cheaper electricity. But large-scale deployment involves electrical safety, system design, grid integration, equipment standards, maintenance and inspection. Weaknesses at any of these levels can undermine the reliability of installations and create costs for consumers and the wider electricity system.
The shortage is not confined to technicians. Chandralal has also identified limited training facilities and a small pool of consultants specialising in solar technology as potential obstacles.
The Government has responded with a programme designed to produce 5,000 technicians, 100 instructors and inspectors. Approximately 1,500 technicians have already been trained, while an RPL programme is being used to bring experienced workers into the formal qualification system.
The regulatory changes could become the decisive test.
Under regulations issued by the Sri Lanka Engineering Council, NVQ Level 3 will become the minimum qualification for solar technicians between January 2028 and December 2029. From January 2030, NVQ Level 4 in Solar Energy Technology and registration as Engineering Technicians will be required.
This represents an important shift from an expanding industry to a regulated profession.
However, regulation without sufficient training capacity could produce another problem: a shortage of legally qualified technicians just as solar deployment accelerates.
That could increase installation costs, slow projects and potentially create pressure for exemptions or weak enforcement. Conversely, delaying professional standards could leave consumers exposed to substandard work.
The Government therefore faces a narrow window to close the gap between ambition and capacity.
The free qualification route for experienced technicians is a sensible starting point. But producing 5,000 qualified workers annually requires sustained investment in instructors, laboratories, assessment centres and inspectors not simply policy announcements.
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