Solar and energy work happens far from any head office. Utility-scale plants go up on open land near Bhadla, Khavda or Pavagada, where engineers and electricians live in site camps for months, while rooftop teams move between factory and housing society roofs in the city. Construction runs against a commissioning date written into the power purchase agreement, so the last weeks before commissioning bring long days, deferred weekly offs and a spike in safety risk. Once a plant is running, O&M technicians, module cleaners and control room operators keep it generating around the clock. HR has to handle attendance with weak network, heat, height and high-voltage safety, camp life and a workforce that is hired and released project by project.
Who works in solar and energy companies
Site engineers and project managersElectrical and civil engineers who live at the site camp during construction, working six-day weeks that stretch as the commissioning date approaches.
Electricians, fitters and installation crewsITI electricians, module mounting fitters and cable crews who build the plant, often hired for one project and moved to the next when it ends.
HSE officers and site supervisorsRun permits, toolbox talks and inductions, and stop work when safety slips, with authority that has to hold even during the commissioning rush.
O&M technicians and control room operatorsKeep operating plants running in rotating shifts, with the SCADA control room staffed around the clock and technicians on call for trips and faults.
Module cleaning crewsClean panels in early morning or night shifts when the panels are cool, often recruited from villages near the plant.
Rooftop installation teamsCity-based crews who survey, install and commission rooftop systems on homes and factories, working at height on a different roof most weeks.
HR challenges in solar and energy companies
Attendance at sites with weak network
Remote plants may have one patch of reliable signal near the site office. Attendance has to work there: a kiosk at the site office, a muster that is imported when the network fails, and HR recording punches with reasons, rather than a system that assumes city connectivity.
The commissioning rush
The last six weeks before commissioning bring ten-hour days, Sunday work and people postponing leave. Overtime must be counted, consented and paid at twice the ordinary wage, weekly offs still need planning, and fatigue has to be watched because tired crews make dangerous mistakes on live systems.
Height, heat and high voltage
Crews work on rooftops and module tables, on live DC strings and in 45 degree summers. Every person on site needs current training for the risks they face, and HR needs expiry dates on those certificates before anyone is put on a crew.
Life in the site camp
Engineers and crews live at camps far from home for months. Home leave, travel days, camp rules, mess charges and festival travel all become HR questions, and a poorly handled leave rotation empties the site at the worst moment.
Hiring and releasing by project
Each new project needs a mobilised team fast, and many roles end when the plant is commissioned. Fixed-term appointments, clean exits and a way to move good people to the next site decide whether the company keeps its skilled crews.
Plants that never stop
An operating plant generates on holidays too. O&M and control room staff need rosters, holiday duty rules and on-call cover for grid trips and inverter faults, alongside the construction teams who follow a very different rhythm.
HR guides for solar and energy companies
AttendanceHow solar and energy companies record attendance at remote project sites and plants, with site-office kiosks, muster imports, travel days and month close.Leave managementLeave rules for solar and energy site staff: home breaks in blocks, travel days, a commissioning freeze, festival rotation and sick days at remote camps.Holiday calendarPlan holidays for solar construction sites and operating plants: Diwali shutdowns, commissioning clashes, plant duty on festivals and site-state lists.Shift schedulingPlan shifts for solar construction crews, module cleaners and O&M control rooms: summer split days, pre-dawn cleaning, round-the-clock SCADA cover.OvertimeHow solar and energy companies count, approve and pay overtime during commissioning pushes and plant call-outs, with consent, caps and the double rate.PayrollRun payroll for solar and energy staff with wage-rule salary structures, site and camp allowances, commissioning bonuses, overtime and statutory items.RecruitmentHow solar companies hire site engineers, ITI electricians, fitters, HSE officers and O&M staff for each project, with practical tests and fixed terms.OnboardingOnboard solar site staff before and after they travel: documents, appointment letters, HSE induction, PPE issue, camp rules and probation for project roles.Performance and KRAsKRAs and review cycles for solar and energy teams: installation milestones, safety, quality, plant availability and fault response, with weighted goals.Training and certificationMandatory and skill training for solar and energy teams: HSE induction, working at height, electrical safety, heat and first aid, and new equipment.Employee documentsDocuments solar and energy companies keep for site staff: ID and bank proof, trade certificates, electrical licences, medical fitness and training records.Exit managementManage exits at solar projects: fixed-term demobilisation after commissioning, PPE and tool clearance, camp checkout, final pay and moves to new sites. Common roles in solar and energy companies
HRMS built for solar and energy companies
Attendance, leave, shifts and payroll set up for how your teams actually work. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
How do solar companies take attendance at remote project sites?
Most use a kiosk tablet or a biometric device at the site office, where the network is best, tied to the site's check-in spot. When the network fails, the site in-charge keeps a paper muster and HR imports it from Excel or records punches with a reason, so payroll still reads one attendance record.
Should project staff at solar sites be on fixed-term contracts?
Fixed-term employment is permitted under the Industrial Relations Code and suits roles that end at commissioning. They are full employees for the term, and their gratuity is worked out in proportion to service, with no five-year threshold. Keep permanent roles for people you plan to move from project to project.
How is overtime paid during a commissioning push?
The OSH Code treats hours past the prescribed limit as overtime: the worker must agree to it, and the rate is double the ordinary wage. Count them daily from punches, have the site in-charge approve them, set a monthly cap, and plan rest so the commissioning rush does not turn into a safety incident.
Can one HRMS handle construction sites and operating plants together?
Yes. Set each project site and plant up as a location, construction and O&M as separate departments with their own shifts and rules, and give each site in-charge a data scope limited to their site. Payroll then runs once for everyone, with site-specific inputs such as camp or site allowances.