Plug into the Future: Why Electricians Should Charge Up Their Skills with Renewable-Energy Training
The petrol pump is losing ground. Every month, supermarket forecourts and m otorway service stations swap one more diesel nozzle for a rapid-charge CCS cable. The change feels gradual day-to-day, yet the data show a tectonic shift—and electricians who upskill now will ride that wave instead of chasing it. This article breaks down the EV market’s direction, the UK charging-infrastructure gap, and the practical training routes that help working s parks pivot into the green-tech space without pausing their income.
1 | EV sales: still accelerating, just not in a straight line
After the record boom of 2020-2021 it was inevitable growth would ease, and headline writers jumped on a “slowdown” narrative for 2023. Zoom out and the picture looks different. Autovista24 reports global EV registrations rose 22 percent in the first half of 2024, still far ahead of the overall car market. Even in Europe—where a few subsidy schemes wound down—sales volumes remain higher than pre-pandemic baselines, proving electric mobility has crossed the early-adopter chasm.
Why does this matter to sparks? Every new battery vehicle needs somewhere to charge: at home, on the kerb, or at work. Fitting those outlets is specialist e lectrical work that cannot be off-shored, and it pays better than many traditional call-outs.
2 | The UK’s 300-thousand-charger challenge
Whitehall wants 300,000 public charge points live by 2030—roughly ten times the sockets in the ground today. Analysis from Northgate Vehicle Hire shows many city councils are not on track, with some regions averaging fewer than six chargers per 10,000 residents. That delta translates into real jobs:
Region | Public chargers installed (2024 Q2) | Chargers needed by 2030 | Install gap |
West Midlands | 6,800 | 45,000 | 38,200 |
Greater Manchester | 3,900 | 30,000 | 26,100 |
South-West | 4,200 | 28,000 | 23,800 |
Behind every new socket sits load assessment, O-PEN protection, data-back-office commissioning, and periodic inspection—tasks tailor-made for electricians who understand both BS 7671 Amendment 2 and smart-charging firmware.
3 | Four reasons to upskill this year, not next
- Higher day rates. Domestic charge-point installs typically bill £250–£300 labour, double a standard accessory swap, and rapid-DC site work pays even more.
- Diversified workload. Adding EV, solar-PV, or battery installs irons out seasonal dips; if house rewires slow, a public-sector charger tender can fill the diary.
- Regulation is tightening. From 2025 most new-builds in England need on-site EV provision. Having the certificate ready keeps you on the tender list.
- Client loyalty. Homeowners who trust you with a charger often ask for solar or storage next; a single upskill creates a pipeline of follow-up work.
4 | What training you actually need
A. EV-Charging Installation & Commissioning
A two- to five-day course covering:
- Load-diversity calcs and earthing solutions (TN-C-S issues)
- 6 mA DC RCD tests and PEN-fault devices
- Back-office pairing, OCPP cloud portals, and customer-app handover
B. Solar PV & Battery Storage
Often bolted to EV courses to future-proof your skill set: panel strings, hybrid inverters, and AC-coupled battery racks.
C. Inspection & Testing Update
Amendment 2 introduced AFDD and SPD requirements that interact with charger installs. A short refresher ensures your test sheets stay compliant.
Want to know more? Full list of Electrician Courses.
Electric vehicles may have hit a short-term plateau in Europe, but the long-term curve remains steep, and infrastructure is lagging behind. Electricians who invest in renewable-energy training today will not just meet future demand—they will shape it, charger by charger, roof by roof. Plug into that future now, and let Elec Training Birmingham show you how to turn green skills into green fees. You do need to be fully qualified normally before upskilling the route most followed can be found – How to become an Electrician.
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