Beyond recruitment: What really keeps women in solar

Europe’s solar and storage industry has just reached a milestone worth celebrating: close to one million jobs in 2025, according to SolarPower Europe’s EU Solar Jobs Report 2026. But headline employment figures tell us how many people the sector employs. They say very little about who stays, who progresses, and who quietly walks away.

That is why Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) chose to look beyond representation in its contribution to this year’s report. Our article, Beyond representation: what actually keeps women in Solar+, draws on a survey of women across our network in 22 European countries. Instead of asking how many women work in solar, we asked a harder question: why do they come, why do they stay, and what pushes them out?

The mission opens the door

Our findings confirm something many of us already feel. Women are drawn to solar above all by its purpose, the chance to contribute to climate action and the energy transition. At the recruitment stage, the industry’s pull is clearly working.

But purpose alone does not keep people. Once inside, what matters shifts towards everyday workplace experience: career growth, genuine flexibility, a stable organisation, fair pay and an inclusive culture. Our conclusion is simple: women join Solar+ for the mission. They stay, or leave, for the employer.

“Nobody I know came into solar specifically for the perks. We came because we wanted to evolve the energy system. But purpose doesn’t replace a manager who backs you. At some point, the employer has to deliver.” says Carmen Madrid, Founder of WiSEu.

A retention risk the industry can’t ignore

That shift matters, because retention is far from guaranteed. Nearly four in ten respondents say they are likely to look for a new role within the next year. At a time when the report expects overall solar employment to contract towards 2030 while shortages persist in critical roles, losing experienced, committed people is a cost the sector cannot afford.

¨Renewable energy is a sector that inspires people to join, but inspiration alone is not enough to keep them. To build a resilient and diverse workforce, organisations must create environments where people can grow their careers, see role models they can relate to, and feel genuinely supported by strong and inclusive leadership,¨ says Zoraida Bejarano, Head of Talent at NextEnergy Group.

Heard today, less sure about tomorrow

There is genuine good news. Women in our Solar+ industries largely feel able to speak up, share ideas and challenge senior colleagues. The problem lies further up the ladder. Confidence drops when it comes to understanding how to progress, having equal access to opportunities, and seeing women like themselves in senior leadership. Respondents also described a “motherhood penalty”: good policies on paper, undermined by cultures that slow the careers of those who use them.

¨It is essential for companies not only to update their policies on paper, but also to put them into practice by accommodating situations that require flexibility, such as parental leave or adjustable working hours, and ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities for career development and professional growth,¨ says Maria Sabella, Founder and CEO at Enlight Energy Services. 

Leadership is the lever

When Women in Solar+ Europe asked women in our industries which single change would make the biggest difference, the answer was clear. Nearly half of respondents pointed to leadership: better management, more women visible in senior roles, and access to mentorship and sponsorship. Not more recruitment campaigns, better leadership of the people already there.

“Visibility matters, but role models alone won’t close the gap. Women need promotion criteria that are transparent, development plans that are followed through, and succession processes that are objective and evidence-led, and don’t depend on who happens to be in the room. When advancement is designed deliberately rather than left to chance, talented people – whatever their gender – do not wonder whether there is a path for them; they can see it,” adds Joanna Thorpe, Head of People and Talent at Sonnedix

“I believe strong leadership starts with recognizing potential in people, sometimes even before they recognize it themselves. Mentorship is important, but real progress comes when leaders turn encouragement into action through trust, responsibility and genuine opportunities to grow. For women in the solar and energy storage industry, having leaders who open doors, value different perspectives and empower talent can make all the difference,” says Aga Michalak, Head of Marketing and ESG Europe at Jinko.

Our view: solar has a “what happens next” problem

WiSEu’s message is that this industry doesn’t have a recruitment problem. It has a “what happens next” problem. Companies that want to hold on to the talent they worked hard to attract need to treat retention and progression as deliberately as hiring:

• Track who stays and who advances, not only who joins.
• Design flexibility around outcomes, not presence.
• Invest in leadership quality, mentoring and sponsorship.
• Make senior career paths visible and attainable.

This is not only a gender question; it is a competitiveness question. The report itself calls for inclusive, high-quality pathways into solar careers, and for measuring retention and progression rather than enrolment alone. Women in the sector have already committed to the energy transition. The question is whether the industry will commit to them in return.

Read the full findings

This article only scratches the surface. The complete Women in Solar+ Europe analysis, with detailed results on why women join and stay, how they experience voice and progression at work, and the levers they would prioritise, is published as Box 2 of SolarPower Europe’s EU Solar Jobs Report 2026.

Download the report from SolarPower Europe here and read “Beyond representation: what actually keeps women in Solar+”. Whether you lead a team, shape HR policy or are building your own career in Solar+, we invite you to read the data, share it with your leadership, and join the Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) so we can keep shaping the leadership intelligence our industries need.