Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia 2020 Jobs NSW profi… · After that the profile is similar to the Step Change scenario, with somewhat higher numbers. Jobs average 9,500 over the

Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia 2020

New South Wales summary

June 2020

isf.uts.edu.au

Background

The first National survey of Renewable Energy

jobs in Australia

Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia | Institute for Sustainable Futures 2

Objectives

• Improve estimates and understanding of renewable energy employment

• Facilitate better workforce planning to avoid future skill shortages

• Identify opportunities for regional jobs and managing energy transition

• Fully study and methodology available from https://bit.ly/REjobs_Au

https://bit.ly/REjobs_Au

isf.uts.edu.au

Scope of study


1. All direct jobs (development, construction/installation, operation and maintenance, manufacturing)

2. Some indirect jobs are included (transport, warehousing, but not professional services, or R&D)

3. Induced jobs are not included (e.g. expenditure of construction workers in regional towns)

4. Some areas were not covered

• Renewable hydrogen

• Metals for renewable energy

• Bio-energy

• Electricity networks

• Professional services (R&D etc)

• End of life recycling, reuse and

disposal

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Renewable Energy Scenarios – New South Wales


• Under the Central scenario (i.e. BAU), there is modest

incremental growth in renewable energy over time to around

12.5 GW

• Under the Step Change scenario, there is sharp growth in

renewable energy in the early 2020s – almost doubling capacity

– before a steadier growth profile to 30GW by 2035

• Installed capacity under High DER grows strongly but steadier

than in the Step Change Scenario also to 30 GW by 2035

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

Inst

alla

ed

Cap

acit

y (M

W)

NSW: Central Scenario

Distributed batteries Utility batteriesRooftop PV Utility SolarPumped hydro HydroWind

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

Inst

alla

ed

Cap

acit

y (M

W)

NSW: Step Change Scenario


-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

Inst

alla

ed

Cap

acit

y (M

W)

NSW: High DER Scenario


isf.uts.edu.au

How many Renewable Energy jobs?


• Under the Central scenario (i.e. BAU), jobs

will stay almost level at around 6,000, before

falling sharply in the mid-2020s and resume

growth towards 2030. Jobs average 5,900

over the period.

• Under the Step Change scenario, jobs will

more than double to over 14,000 around

2025, and then drop sharply before further

coal retirements occur from the late 2020s.

Jobs average 9,100 over the period.

• High DER has a quicker build up, to around

14,000, and then a sharp fall until the mid

2020s. After that the profile is similar to the

Step Change scenario, with somewhat

higher numbers. Jobs average 9,500 over

the period.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034

NSW: Renewable Energy Jobs

Central Step Change High DER

Central 5,900Step Change 9,100High DER 9,500

AVERAGE JOB NUMBERS

isf.uts.edu.au

New South Wales would have the most jobs under a Step Change scenario

TITLE | Institute for Sustainable Futures 6

STEP CHANGE SCENARIO, 2025

isf.uts.edu.au

Jobs growth by technology


-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Rooftop PVUtility SolarSolar water heating

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y



-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y



-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Pumped hydro Hydro

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Pumped hydro Hydro

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Pumped hydro Hydro

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Wind

Wind repowering

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,00020

20

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Wind

Wind repowering

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


WindWind repowering

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,00020

20

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y


Distributed batteries

Utility batteries

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y



Utility batteries

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

JOBS

(FTE

) by t

echn

olog

y



Utility batteries

isf.uts.edu.au

O&M jobs will grow in importance


• By 2035, O&M jobs could be almost half of renewable energy jobs

• Trend driven by wind farms – good quality blue-collar jobs

• O&M a growing trend in rooftop solar, lower proportion of jobs in solar farms

• The Step Change scenario performs best: by 2035 O&M jobs are 40% of RE jobs, compared to 35% in the High DER and only

24% in the Central scenario

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

JOB

S (F

TE)

by

typ

e


Manufacturing (domestic) Development and construction

Operations and maintenance

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

JOB

S (F

TE)

by

typ

e




-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

20

32

20

34

JOB

S (F

TE)

by

typ

e




isf.uts.edu.au

Coal Mining and Renewable Energy Jobs


The major New South Wales Renewable Energy Zones

are: N1 (North West), N3 (Central West), & N8 (Tumut)

Sydney jobs a mix of distributed PV & professional jobs for

large-scale projects (noting the survey does not include

professional services outside renewable energy

companies)

Source: coal mining jobs, ABS census 2016; RE jobs projections are for 2025 under the Step Change scenario) Note: The Renewable Energy Zones have been identified by the Australian Energy Market Operator

isf.uts.edu.au

What are the key occupations across renewable energy (%)?

Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia | Institute for Sustainable Futures10

Note: the figures are an average for each occupation in the Step Change Scenario 2020-2035 across Australia, and some minor occupations have not been included in

the detailed figure. For further information on occupational breakdowns, skill shortages and recruitment issues see the full report https://bit.ly/REjobs_Au

1-in-5 renewable energy

workers are electricians

& trade assistants

3.6

5.2

5.4

3.1

2.6

4.5

3.4

2.9

2.8

2.7

0.8

13.6

2.7

1.5

1.7

4.0

3.9

1.2

1.8

1.6

4.8

6.1

2.6

0.9

3.1

1.9

1.1

EXECUTIVES & SENIOR MANAGERS

CONSTRUCTION & PROJECT MANAGERS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ADMINISTRATION & SALES MANAGERS

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS

HEALTH, SAFETY, QUALITY & ENVIRONMENT

FINANCE, BUSINESS, LEGAL & PLANNING PROFESSIONALS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING & SALES

CIVIL MECHANICAL & SCADA ENGINEERS

ACCREDITED PV DESIGNERS

TRANPORT, LOGISTICS & PROCUREMENT

IT PROFESSIONALS

ELECTRICIANS

MECHANICAL TRADES & TECHNICIANS

CONSTRUCTION TRADES

METAL TRADES & NON-TRADES

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

DRIVERS

CRANE & HOIST OPERATORS

STOREPERSONS & PACKERS

EARTHMOVING & OTHER CONSTRUCTION MACHINES

SOLAR ROOFERS

ELECTRICAL TRADE ASSISTANTS

BATCH PLANT OPERATORS & CONCRETERS

STEEL FIXERS

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION LABOURERS

ASSEMBLY LABOURERS

PROCESS WORKERS

https://bit.ly/REjobs_Au

isf.uts.edu.au

New hydro and pumped hydro will require large volumes of construction workers (%)


isf.uts.edu.au

Current coal employment compared to RE employment by occupation

Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia | Institute for Sustainable Futures12

Source: coal mining jobs, ABS census 2016; RE jobs projections are for 2025 under the Step Change scenario)

isf.uts.edu.auRenewable Energy Jobs in Australia | Institute for Sustainable Futures 13

Good match with some trades, technicians and labourers – but not the core workforce of machine operators.

What is the match like between coal and renewables jobs?

Low-cost renewable energy can also support the development of heavy industry (e.g. ‘green steel). Through direct job

creation and powering heavy industry, renewable energy can play a role in industry development plans for coal regions.

Documents

Renewable Energy Jobs in Australia 2020 Jobs NSW profi… · After that the profile is similar to the Step Change scenario, with somewhat higher numbers. Jobs average 9,500 over the