Ireland’s first Renewable Energy Workforce & Skills Survey

An early snapshot of a new survey into Ireland’s renewable energy sector points to emerging skills bottlenecks and challenges recruiting experienced talent across parts of the sector.

Solar Ireland has partnered with recruitment and HR specialists Collins McNicholas to deliver Ireland’s first Renewable Energy Workforce & Skills Survey, which is currently underway with organisations across the renewable energy sector.

The survey will create the first dedicated benchmark of workforce and skills needs across Ireland’s renewable energy sector.

Renewable Energy Workforce & Skills Survey

The sector is growing rapidly, creating new opportunities across a range of services including engineering, construction, project delivery, operations, planning, policy and professional services.

The aim of the Renewable Energy Workforce & Skills Survey is to better understand the sector’s workforce needs. It will provide key insights into the sector and identify current recruitment challenges, skills shortages, regional labour gaps, training requirements and future workforce demand within the sector.

While the survey will continue until the end of the year, early responses are beginning to highlight several emerging themes, including:

• Continued demand for engineers, project managers, electricians, planning specialists and technical delivery roles.
• Demand for expertise in grid integration, planning and permitting, electrical engineering, project management and solar-specific technical skills.
• Respondents expect workforce requirements to continue growing over short to medium term and are confident in long-term sector growth.
• Challenges recruiting experienced personnel, particularly in specialist technical and delivery-focused roles.

As part of the ongoing survey, Collins McNicholas will conduct a series of follow up interviews with selected respondents operating in the renewable energy sector. These conversations will provide valuable additional insights to complement the survey findings and help shape a clearer picture of the sector’s workforce needs.

Solar Ireland will publish the full findings of the Renewable Energy Workforce & Skills Survey later this year.

An initial snapshot of responses featured in Solar Ireland’s Scale of Solar report, launched by Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’ Brien T.D at the association’s annual conference.

The Scale of Solar report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Irish solar market and focuses on the growing role of solar in strengthening energy resilience, supporting economic development and delivering clean electricity across Ireland.

Workforce requirements are expected to increase as Ireland’s renewable energy sector continues to grow, reflecting one of the fastest periods of renewable energy deployment in the country’s history.

Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power:

“Ireland’s renewable energy sector is entering a new phase of growth. Delivering the projects needed to meet our climate and energy ambitions will depend not only on investment in infrastructure, but on having the skilled people needed to design, build, connect and operate them.

“This survey is about building a better understanding of those workforce needs. By working with industry, education providers and Government, we can help ensure Ireland develops the skills and talent required to support continued growth across the renewable energy sector. The findings will provide an important evidence base for future workforce planning, industry engagement and policy development.”

Collins McNicholas’ Director Michelle Murphy said:

“The initial findings of the survey reinforce a broader reality facing Ireland’s renewable energy sector: achieving climate and energy targets will require investment not only in infrastructure, but also in people. The energy transition is ultimately a people transition. Developing skills and talent needed to support Ireland’s growing solar sector will be essential to delivering our renewable energy ambitions.”

“Collins McNicholas is delighted to work alongside Solar Ireland in delivering the sector’s first dedicated workforce and skills survey. The more organisations that participate the richer the evidence base will be, helping industry and policymakers make informed decisions about future workforce development.”

Photo: Collins McNicholas representatives attend Solar Ireland Annual Conference 2026 at RDS Dublin – (L-R) Gillian Nicholson (Recruitment Manager – Technical Engineering for Leinster), Jamie Fannon (Recruitment Consultant) and Michelle Murphy (Director).

About Collins McNicholas:

www.collinsmcnicholas.ie

Established in 1990, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group is an award-winning Irish company that sources talent and provides hiring solutions across a wide variety of sectors for its client companies. With a nationwide presence, Collins McNicholas offers a full spectrum of services to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

About Solar Ireland

www.solarireland.ie

Solar Ireland is the representative body for Ireland’s solar industry, bringing together developers, investors, technology providers, installers, professional services firms and organisations working across the solar value chain. The association champions the interests of its members through policy advocacy, trusted market insights, and opportunities for collaboration, helping to accelerate the sustainable growth of Ireland’s solar sector.

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