The 4th edition of Efintec, the installation and energy sector fair organized by the Federation of Installers of Catalonia (FEGICAT), took place at Fira de Barcelona, featuring more than 160 exhibitors and attracting 8,000 visitors, marking a 15% increase from 2022.

This year's theme, “Renewing the energy model,” brought together manufacturers and distributors, introduced the Escola Gremial for installer training options, and offered interactive knowledge-testing stations across installation specialties.

The event was sponsored by BBVA and received support from the Generalitat of Catalonia, including the Servei d'Ocupació de Catalunya (SOC) and the Consorci per a la Formació Contínua de Catalunya (CONFORCAT). Additionally, the event hosted various debate sessions in the Auditorium for the first time.

Several company representatives told pv magazine that two concerns casting shadows over the sector are the stockpiling of modules and a slowdown in the residential PV business. However, they also expressed a positive outlook for the commercial, industrial, and residential heating segments.

Nonetheless, this growth could potentially create a new bottleneck as the shift in the energy model is expected to trigger a surge in demand, for which the sector currently lacks the required qualified workforce. In 2022, Spain experienced significant growth in the distributed-generation solar business, attracting many untrained installers.

“A neighboring baker that I know closed the bakery a few months ago and became a PV installer,'” the owner of a well-known PV product distributor told pv magazine. “Of course, he didn't know what he had bought or what he was selling,” he added.

One installer said that this situation increases their workload, while another company representative said he believes that legislation won't appear until there are fatalities.