Students now a day, especially the Millenials, no longer believe in taking the standard route to their career and are keen to explore more new opportunities. In their explorations to newer territories, today’s youth have found a thriving territory in the renewable energy sector.
India already holds an extremely favourable landform for several kinds of renewable energy, including solar, hydro, and wind. However, in recent years, the solar industry has witnessed the strongest growth and rise in popularity, especially encouraged by many favourable policies and initiatives launched by the Government. The ambitious goal set by it, of achieving 175 GW capacity by 2022, of which, 100 GW is expected to be contributed by the solar sector, has further provided purpose to job creation in the industry.
Owing to this, the renewable industry is experiencing job, business opportunities and enhanced Government support. Moreover, the solar sector is winning traction as a leading career outlook for the aspirational, sustainability-driven students of today.
Suntuity Renewable Energy India, a part of a US-based Suntuity Group is actively encouraging students to be aware of these sensitive issues like energy conservation, environmental protection, and the need to build a sustainable future with their own personal principles and by offering growth opportunities.
Stoodnt.com got in touch with Imaan Javan- Director of Suntutiy REI, to know more about how the solar sector will bring great opportunities for students in future. Javan has been in the industry for a while and shared some truly valuable insights.
A selected excerpt –
What was the idea behind launching SuntuityREI?
Our goal is to be one of the main contributors to the country’s attainable renewable energy targets that will help both slow climate change and drive healthier living and economic conditions for our citizens. The idea was to make renewable energy both financially viable and available.With the aim of promoting Green Energy in India, Suntuity REI was started to achieve energy independence along with lowering electricity bills and achieving a reduced carbon footprint, rather than relying on large, centralized networks- decentralized, low-cost sustainable solutions can reach thousands of houses and help India achieve total electrification.
What does Suntuity do differently?
Our Mantra is People, Planet, Profit. At Suntuity we are driven to bring about a change for the people followed by the place we live in. Suntuity REI is affiliated with the Suntuity Group of companies, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy companies throughout the world. Suntuity REI offers end-to-end financing, installation and system maintenance solutions for scalable renewable energy projects. It provides utility-scale, commercial and residential solar energy, battery storage and renewable energy financing solutions for homeowners, business owners, and developers throughout India.
What does it take to be an entrepreneur in the renewable sector in India today?
One needs to be aggressive, seize opportunities, and take a calculated risk. Educate people about environmental stewardship and actively try to reduce your own carbon footprint where ever possible.
What are the challenges?
The challenge for developers in the past has been un-regulated or long-term solar policies that may not be bankable regardless of openaccess and the unrealistically low solar power price expectations that are not profitable including quality products and installation which can guarantee production for a period of 25 years. The falling prices of solar over the years has made it difficult to sell solar as customers are expecting an even lower price over the next few years and prolong the project for a later time.
What are the career opportunities in the renewable sector for millennials in India?
According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), by2030 India could add about 3 million new jobs in the renewable energy sector offering different job profiles such as design engineers, research analysts, structural engineers, dynamic sales and marketing professionals,installation and maintenance personnel.
Are there any courses which will come handy for those looking for jobs in the sector? If yes, what are they, where are they offered?
There are many courses that offer well-packaged courses in the energy sector like:
Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi
School of Energy and Environment Management,
Rajiv GandhiProudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal.
M.Tech in Energy & Environmental Engineering, University, Vellore.
Although if someone wishes to do any specialization the government has created some research arms in engineering colleges in various states.
How rewarding is a career in the renewable sector for millennials in India?
Renewables is the next big thing, people are investing heavily in this sector-Rising concerns for global warming, and High ROI for solar has motivated many people to adopt renewable energy. The shift towards decentralization and decarbonization have created many new opportunities in this sector for solar advocates that are passionate about making a difference today, in order to build a better tomorrow.
Where do you see Suntuity in next five years?
Our work ethic has helped us gain the trust of hundreds of clients. At Suntuity REI we are driven by prioritizing the mantra “People, Planet, Profits”, which is a great way to align ourselves with our morals and values. Everything we do helps build a brighter future for tomorrow while building on our past– our goal is to drive success, profit is a side effect of success and not our prime focus. This has helped us grow rapidly and sets us apart from our competitors that are often primarily motivated by profit.
We have a vision for Suntuity REI to join the ranks of Fortune 500 companies and we work every day in that direction.