BANGALORE: About 60 solar engineers and mechanics with expertise in solar technologies will become available in the State by the year-end. The trainers will have hands-on experience in proper installation techniques and operation and maintenance of solar energy systems. Under a European Union-India cross-cultural programme, The Energy Research Institute (TERI), and four European partners — Aachen University of Applied Sciences; Solar Institute Juelich (SIJ) Germany; Handwerkskammer Aachen, Germany; and Zentrum fur Aus-und Weiterbildung des Mittelstands, Eupen (Belgium) — have come together to develop intensive courses covering popular solar technologies that are relevant to India.

A release from TERI said, given the Centre's policy of encouraging clean solar technologies and a shift towards solar energy, especially for water-heating systems, a tropical country such as India has much potential for increasing the use of solar energy. There is no specialised course in India covering practical aspects of solar energy systems.

The initial survey of Indian solar energy systems and inputs of manufacturers indicate that though local academic skills are high, enhanced skills required in solar technologies are not available.

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