Renewable energy 'skills gap'

Physicists have useful transferable skills, the institute says

The falling number of physics graduates choosing scientific careers could jeopardise the government's renewable energy targets, a report suggests.

The Institute of Physics says the UK is not fulfilling its potential in the areas of solar and tidal energies.

Physics graduates can be deterred from pursuing postgraduate work because of funding problems and a lack of opportunities, the report says.

In 2004, 3.6% of the UK's electricity was produced from renewable sources.

The government's 2003 energy White Paper set a target to provide 10% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

Future skills

The Institute of Physics report - entitled The Role of Physics in Renewable Energy Research and Development - highlights a lack of general skills and specific technical skills which it says will hamper efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Encouraging more physicists to study renewable energy sources could help plug that skills gap, the report says.

But there is very little data available to show exactly which skills are lacking, it adds.

Report author Judith Bates said:" A solution to this problem would be to estimate the future skills and educational needs, from research and development through to applied engineering, and make an effort to ensure these skills are provided."

Renewable energy could supply the UK with a "diverse and reliable" energy supply, the report goes on.

Solar energy and wind energy could contribute 58% of our supply by 2040, it suggests.

But more research and development opportunities are needed to bring the cost of the technology down and improve its performance and reliability.

Physicists have transferrable skills such as mathematical modelling which should not be under-estimated, the report says.

Peter Main, Institute of Physics director of education and science, said: "It is vital that we support UK physics and attract more students to study physics and go on to pursue a career in areas such as energy generation."

Although the number of physics graduates remains fairly stable, they can be deterred from pursuing further research because of problems accessing funding.

The inter-disciplinary nature of renewable energy research means it is often not clear where to apply for funding, the Institute of Physics says.

And centres for energy technology based at universities would help create more research opportunities, because renewable energy is sometimes hard to fit into univerisity departments.

The report also recommends raising awareness at undergraduate level of the options open to physicists to research renewable energy sources.