Special Features

Europe's renewable energy sector

Europe's renewable energy sector and the HR function.

Andy Cook, Director of Marshall James HR.

A sector as immature, yet fast-growing as renewable energy is bound to throw up a few juicy challenges for HR managers. The sector is not new, nor is it an unknown quantity, but only in the last few years has the global stage been transformed to such a degree that major energy firms are investing

With investment totalling £6m and a substantial contract win from a housing association under his belt, it's no wonder former group managing director of Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), Adrian Pike, is feeling positive about the future. He has taken an ambitious leap from the corporate world into the rapidly expanding solar and energy efficiency market place. Any other executives thinking of taking the plunge will find his a fascinating story. As CEO and founder of newly-formed energy efficiency solutions company, Anesco, Adrian is already making waves in the solar energy sector. Here, he tells PES just why he's going green and what the future holds for the industry.

The renewable energy sector is one of the fastest moving and most exciting in

As Japan and the international community count the cost of the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster and an energy strategy reliant on nuclear power, analysts are predicting an upturn in demand for renewables. Coupled with recent political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, which has added to concerns over security of supply, the renewables sector may be heading towards a significant turning point.

However, a key challenger for this lucrative market is emerging in the guise of China. While the opportunities for European companies to tap into the rapidly growing Chinese market are significant, experience shows it is crucial to develop a framework that protects Intellectual Property (IP) rights.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) electricity is poised to become a significant and competitive supplier to the European electricity market. The UK has traditionally lagged behind markets like Germany, however, the introduction of a Feed in Tariff (FiT) is changing the scene. Whilst boosting the share of PV can contribute to reaching the UK's ambitious renewable energy targets, there are lessons for the government and the domestic market from the European experience.

Context in the UK
The European Renewable Energy Directive sets the UK a target of achieving 15% of total energy from renewable sources by 2020, the UK government expects that the electricity sector will make the largest contribution towards this target. In addition, the UK is facing the huge inves

PES: Welcome to PES magazine. For readers who mightn't be familiar with the work of your organisation, can you firstly explain how you fit into the PV framework?
Andrew Lee: Sharp is the biggest and most experienced manufacturer of solar panels in the UK and Europe, producing 500 MW of solar PV every year in the UK. Cumulatively, we have produced over 4 GW of solar cells to date. The European factory is based in Wrexham, UK, which has seen vast expansion over the last year - we have recently created 300 new jobs and almost doubled our annual production capacity. Sharp was the original pioneer in the development of solar technology and, more recently, was the first PV manufacturer to integrate its training academy with its production facilities, offering tradespeople of

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