A practical guide to solar and onshore wind careers in the UK: development, construction and operations roles, the training employers expect and where projects are concentrated.
Why solar and onshore wind are hiring
Solar and onshore wind are among the quickest forms of new generation to build, and both play a large part in the government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. The plan sets out ranges of 45–47 GW of solar and 27–29 GW of onshore wind by 2030, well above the capacity in place when it was published at the end of 2024.
Policy has also shifted in England. Planning rules for onshore wind were relaxed in 2024, and larger onshore wind farms have been brought back into the nationally significant infrastructure regime. Contracts for Difference auctions in early 2026 awarded support to new solar and onshore wind projects, which means construction and operations work over the coming years.
The jobs fall into three broad stages: developing projects, building them and running them for decades afterwards.
Development roles
Before anything is built, a project needs land, consent and a grid connection. Development teams sit with developers, landowners' advisers, consultancies and increasingly with public bodies.
- Project developers and managers find sites, negotiate with landowners and steer projects through planning.
- Planning consultants prepare applications and handle consultation with councils and communities.
- Environmental specialists such as ecologists, ornithologists, noise consultants and visual impact assessors produce the evidence planning decisions rely on.
- Grid connection engineers work with network operators on connection offers, which have become a central issue since connections reform.
- Land agents and legal teams handle leases, options and easements for cable routes.
- Community engagement and benefit officers run consultations and manage community funds.
These roles suit graduates in planning, geography, environmental science and engineering, as well as people moving from property, local government or infrastructure consultancy.
Construction roles
Solar farms
Utility-scale solar construction is largely civil, mechanical and electrical work spread over a big site. Typical roles include site managers, civils supervisors, piling rig operators, mounting structure installers, panel installation crews, DC and AC electricians, HV jointers, commissioning engineers and health and safety advisers. Many projects now include battery storage alongside the panels, which adds work for electrical and controls specialists.
Onshore wind farms
Onshore wind construction starts with access tracks, crane pads and concrete foundations, followed by cabling, substation work and turbine installation. Crane operators, slingers and signallers, turbine installation technicians, electrical balance-of-plant engineers and quality inspectors are all part of the build. Turbine installation is usually led by the manufacturer or its contractors, with crews travelling between sites.
Rooftop and commercial solar
Installation on homes, schools, warehouses and public buildings is a separate market with steady demand for electricians and PV installers. Great British Energy and the government are funding solar on around 250 schools and more than 270 NHS sites, which adds to commercial rooftop work.
Operations and maintenance
Once a site is generating, it needs looking after for 25 years or more. Operations roles tend to be permanent and local, which appeals to people who want less travel.
- Wind turbine technicians carry out scheduled servicing, fault-finding and repairs, working at height in the nacelle and hub.
- Solar O&M technicians inspect panels, inverters and cabling, test strings and respond to faults.
- HV engineers and authorised persons look after on-site substations and switching.
- Control room and performance analysts monitor output remotely using SCADA data and flag underperformance.
- Asset managers oversee contracts, budgets and reporting for portfolios of sites.
There is also work in grounds and vegetation management, security and blade inspection and repair, often through specialist contractors.
Skills and tickets employers expect
The exact requirements depend on the role, but these come up again and again in adverts:
- GWO Basic Safety Training for wind turbine work, covering first aid, manual handling, fire awareness and working at heights. Onshore roles usually need these modules, while sea survival is for offshore work. The Global Wind Organisation sets the standards.
- Electrical qualifications, including an NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, the current edition of the BS 7671 wiring regulations and, for many roles, an ECS card.
- Solar PV design and installation training for rooftop work, plus MCS certification through an employer for domestic schemes.
- HV authorisation for engineers who switch on-site substations.
- Site safety cards such as CSCS, plus SSSTS or SMSTS for supervisors and managers.
- Plant tickets for piling, cranes, telehandlers and lifting operations.
Mechanical and electrical fault-finding, a good head for heights and a willingness to work outdoors in poor weather matter as much as certificates for turbine roles.
Where the work is in the UK
Scotland
Scotland has the largest share of the UK's onshore wind capacity. Projects are concentrated in the Southern Uplands, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, Argyll and the Highlands. Whitelee, south of Glasgow, is one of the UK's largest onshore wind farms. Operations teams are often based in towns close to clusters of sites, and there is strong demand around Inverness and the Highlands.
England
Large solar farms are most common in the East of England, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands and the South West, where flat or gently rolling farmland and grid capacity coincide. Several of the biggest schemes have gone through the nationally significant infrastructure process. Onshore wind in England is expected to grow following the 2024 planning changes, though new projects take years to reach construction.
Wales and Northern Ireland
Wales has onshore wind in mid and south Wales and a growing number of solar farms. Northern Ireland has a well-established onshore wind sector with its own planning and support arrangements.
Great British Energy's strategic plan includes using public land for solar, onshore wind and storage, so public bodies may become a more visible source of projects.
Moving into solar or onshore wind
Electricians, plant operators, civil engineering staff and mechanical technicians all have skills that transfer directly. People from agriculture and land management often do well in development and site roles, because they understand landowners, access and rural working. Ex-forces technicians are often well suited to turbine maintenance, and offshore workers may find onshore operations roles a way to work closer to home. Start by identifying which tickets you already hold and which a target role requires.
Browse renewable energy vacancies to see what employers are asking for, then register as a candidate to save jobs and track your applications in one place.
Questions people ask
Do I need GWO training for onshore wind jobs?
Most turbine technician roles ask for GWO Basic Safety Training, usually the first aid, manual handling, fire awareness and working at heights modules. Sea survival is generally only needed for offshore work. Some employers fund training for new starters, so check the advert before booking a course yourself.
Can an electrician move into solar farm work?
Yes. Qualified electricians are needed on solar farm construction for DC and AC cabling, inverters and testing, and later in operations and maintenance. Extra training in PV systems, and HV authorisation for some roles, will widen your options.
Are solar and onshore wind jobs permanent or contract?
Both. Construction work is often contract or fixed-term and may involve travel between sites. Operations and maintenance roles are more likely to be permanent and based near a cluster of sites, as are many development and asset management roles.
