Skill Development and Capacity Building for Clean Energy Transition
World Energy Storage Day (WESD) September 22, 2023
World Energy Storage Day, observed annually on September 22, serves as a global platform for industry stakeholders, policymakers, think tanks, and associations to acknowledge and discuss the pivotal role of energy storage and the clean energy technologies worldwide.
With a heightened focus on the effective integration of renewable energy, significance of electric vehicles, and the necessity for a reliable energy supply, energy storage has emerged as a crucial tool in the electricity ecosystem.
The World Energy Storage Day (WESD) 2023 was celebrated with great enthusiasm. This year's event, like the successful editions in the past, featured a round-the-clock series of activities. IESA Academy executed a Special Session on “Skill Development and Capacity Building for Clean Energy Transition” highlighting the growing importance of energy storage in the context of renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, and energy supply.
Distinguished key speakers:
The session highlighted pressing need for skill development in the field of clean energy and its emerging technologies. Dr Rahul Walawalkar, President of Customized Energy Solutions (CES), and India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) moderated the session, ensuring a robust and insightful discussion. He emphasized the importance of such sessions and discussed the challenges faced in the energy sector, underscoring the critical role of skill development in adapting new and emerging technologies.
Dr Parveen Dhamija (Advisor, SCGJ) shed light on gearing up the Indian Workforce for a green economy, emphasizing job opportunities in the electric vehicle sector. She discussed about a training program on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) conducted by the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), which trained approximately 50 participants.
Dr Dhamija proposed solutions such as conducting skill gap studies, preparing occupational maps, developing standard curricula & certification, creating awareness, and organizing training courses with industry interactions.
Prof. Dr Ashok Jhunjhunwala (Professor, IITM Research Park) presented a case study of an industry-oriented short-term Certificate Program on eMobility and Electric Vehicle Engineering, showcasing the demand for quality courses in eMobility sector. He highlighted the need for collaborative efforts between industry and educational institutions in creating a skilled workforce.
Dr Chetan Singh Solanki (Professor, IITB & Founder, Energy Swaraj Foundation) focused on the laws of sustainability and existence in the energy sector, advocating for energy consumption reduction and the implementation of the three-step concept: Avoid-Minimize-Generate, to optimize energy use. He also discussed the Action for Climate Correction program.
Dr Pratap Sanap (Vice President & Head, Innovation & Research, Neilsoft) briefly discussed about Smart India Hackathon, emphasizing outreach to educational institutes, and creating appropriate training platforms to support top talent through industry and government partnerships.
Vijay Dhar (Chair, NAAtbatt Education Committee & Program Director, New Energy Nexus) emphasized the need for investment in the workforce in the energy sector, highlighting areas such as curriculum development, deployment, training support, and technical exchange.
Session highlight:
The winners of the first “IESA Emerging Tech Scholarship” in association with IEEE PES-IAS Pune section were announced. IESA Academy thanked team IEEE (Dr Geetanjali Vaidya, Dr Surekha Deshmukh, and Dr Mandar Bhawalkar) for their support to foster emerging talent in the field of new and clean energy technologies.
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