Ukraine recognizes solar installer as official profession

Ukraine has officially recognized the profession of solar PV installer. A professional standard for the occupation has been entered into the country’s National Qualifications Register, maintained by the National Qualifications Agency of Ukraine.

The accreditation recognizes the profession of solar installer at the national level for the first time, while establishing unified requirements for the knowledge, practical skills and competencies of solar installers. 

It will also act as a foundation for future educational programmes, job descriptions, professional certification and the training of future specialists throughout Ukraine.  

The move was initiated by solar energy company Atmosfera through its solar education platform Atmosfera Academy. The company told pv magazine the decision marks “a significant milestone for Ukraine’s renewable energy sector.”

“Today, more than 86,000 residential solar power systems are operating across the country, and the number of new installations continues to grow rapidly each year,” a statement from the company added. “Until now, however, the profession of the specialists responsible for installing these systems had not been officially recognized by the state.”

In a recent conversation with pv magazine, Atmosfera’s Head of Communications, Lena Sukholdolska, explained that the company, which operates the largest network of solar installers in Ukraine, was working towards securing the recognition as the rapid growth of Ukraine’s solar sector had attracted new entrants into the market from outside the renewable energy industry, creating concerns about installation quality.

“We want to make sure that all installations are professional, safe and secure for people,” Sukholdolska said.

The recognition comes ahead of Ukraine’s new law on vocational education, which will require every graduate of a vocational education institution to obtain a diploma and at least one professional qualification from 2030 onwards. The change means professional standards will become a mandatory foundation for workforce training, while independent qualification assessment will become an integral part of vocational education.

Atmosfera says it is now working towards its academy obtaining the status of a qualification centre, which it explained will enable the academy to award state-recognized professional qualifications.  

The company also told pv magazine it wants to develop professional standards for other occupations within the solar industry.

“For us, this is far more than the registration of a new profession. It is about laying the foundation for high-quality workforce training, improving the safety and quality of solar PV installations, and supporting the long-term development of the entire renewable energy sector,” added Oleksandr Klepalov, the company’s CEO. 

“We firmly believe that professional standards are essential for building a mature and sustainable market.” 

Ukraine deployed around 1.5 GW of solar in 2025, taking cumulative capacity to in excess of 8.5 GW.