Empowering Women in Solar and Beyond

“There is a persistent gender imbalance in the renewable energy sector,” says Ruth Forbes, senior associate and clean energy lawyer of A&L Goodbody, Belfast.

“The transition to net zero will boost economic growth and create hundreds of thousands of jobs across multiple sectors,” Forbes wrote recently, “yet projections show that by 2030 only a quarter of these could be filled by women.”

SolarSmart is led by a female CEO. We have female solar advisors and women in our marketing and project management teams. We are actively looking for women to join our installation teams – but so far, we’ve not had a single woman apply.

That seems to be because here, as elsewhere in the world, women are “vastly underrepresented” in careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) – including the engineers and electricians needed in the solar industry. Data from a 2022 study conducted by the Department of Education, for instance, shows that out of 120,000 individuals employed in STEM roles across Ireland, only a quarter are women.

We believe the Irish solar energy market will grow exponentially in the next decade and there will be a significant talent shortage as a result. We install domestic, farm and commercial solar across Ireland. Our vision is to build an installation company that attracts, trains, upskills and retains the talent necessary to deliver 1500 solar installations annually.

Research conducted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) indicates that there is already a shortage of people with the skills required to carry out energy-saving home upgrades like solar. ?SEAI estimates that 17,000 additional workers will be needed to improve the energy efficiency of the 500,000 homes necessary to meet Ireland’s climate change commitments by 2030.

There is, of course, a lot of talk about the dangers posed by unmitigated global warming. We also talk a lot about “future-proofing” our homes and the economy by making the switch to renewable energy. Those changes will be driven by workers able to fill the critical roles required. A job in solar is a way to be “part of a generational change in the way we power our communities”, but it’s also a way of “future-proofing” your own career.

Whether as solar roofers, PV electricians, and or general operatives, we need to think of ways to attract women to that workforce. We know that one of the best ways to do that is to lead by example, and to make a workplace that is compatible with the demands placed on younger workers (female and male) – especially ones with growing families.

At SolarSmart, we work hard to operate a?4-day work week for our installation crews. Our installation teams have to rise early, load vans, sometimes drive several hours, then get on roofs and into attics, drive home and get ready to do the same again the next day. Safety and quality of life for our employees matter to us.

If you or a woman you know wants to explore whether a career in solar is right for you, there are other women waiting to help!

In April, the first conference of “Women in Solar Energy - Ireland” was held in Dublin, with Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association as a principal speaker. WISE is a non-profit network, founded in 2012 to ensure that women and minorities are given the maximum number of opportunities to embark on a career in the solar industry.

Then there is the “Women in Solar Power” program run by Solar Energy International. SEI’s core message is that “the solar industry offers a multitude of lucrative job prospects with a clear career path forward, and women across the world have invaluable expertise, skills and perspectives to contribute to the clean energy revolution….There is no question that positive change will result from more women being an integral part of the solar industry."

SEI claims to have more than thirty years of educational service in the clean energy sector and to have served tens of thousands of women worldwide. Since 2022, it says, its solar energy training scheme has connected 462 women and non-binary individuals with training, networking, and mentorship opportunities, and awarded 132 scholarships to address barriers to entry, retention, and advancement in the photovoltaic solar workforce.

Another group, Solar for Women, envisions a world where more women will lead solar companies, more women will collaborate on solar projects, and more women will be in positions to hire and train other women and girls. The network is particularly keen to help women of colour and other minority women.

The groups says that their efforts will mean that? “Women who desire to work in solar will find jobs in solar that pay them as well as men…They will feel more connected and supported as they learn and as they develop into experienced professionals. It will be easy to find a woman as a mentor.?“

It's worth noting, too, that reports by international experts find that companies with a higher representation of women and minorities in leadership roles outperform competitors.

This matters to me because I’m not just the CEO of SolarSmart, I’m the mother of a young woman, too. I know how important it is for women to be empowered to realise their dreams – whether in a career in STEM (like as a solar electrician), or politics or sport.

That’s why SolarSmart sponsored the Irish National Kendo Team at the World Championships in Milan earlier this Summer. Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, so the team literally shed blood, sweat and tears to be selected. And, for the first time in Kendo na héireann's history, a full Women’s Team competed in the championships.

If you haven’t seen Kendo, then you might enjoy having a look here to see Sophie’s journey from novice to world-class competitor.

Every journey starts somewhere. Whether it’s getting our Irish Kendo team off to Milan, or getting more women “up on the roof”, we want to help people start their journeys.