Sri Lankan Renewable Energy Engineers Valued Overseas as Local Talent Drifts Abroad

Sri Lanka stands at a natural advantage in the global shift toward renewable energy. With year-round sunlight and increasing awareness around sustainable power, solar energy has long been viewed as a practical solution to the country’s energy challenges. Yet, while the resource is abundant and largely untapped, a quieter challenge continues to shape the sector’s future: the steady outflow of highly skilled engineers.

This “brain drain” is not a new phenomenon, but its impact is becoming more visible in specialised industries such as renewable energy. Engineers trained and experienced in Sri Lanka are increasingly finding opportunities overseas, where their expertise is in high demand and quickly recognised. The result is a transfer of knowledge and capability that benefits other economies while leaving gaps in local capacity.

One such example is Mr. Jayan Shirantha Mendis, a renewable energy professional whose career reflects both the promise within Sri Lanka’s engineering sector and the consequences of losing that talent. With over 13 years of experience spanning engineering, project management, and operations, his role as a Project & Operations Manager at CHINT Green Energy – New Zealand spans multiple responsibilities across project execution and operations. His work is also closely tied to the development of solar power systems, both at utility scale and in distributed applications.

His early career in Sri Lanka included significant contributions to solar deployment, particularly in areas that intersected with everyday livelihoods. From rooftop solar initiatives at a provincial level to solar-powered irrigation systems supporting agriculture, his work demonstrated how renewable energy could be integrated into practical, impact-driven solutions.

These projects were not only technical in nature but also addressed real economic and social needs. However, like many high-capacity professionals, his skills did not go unnoticed beyond local borders. Within weeks of expressing interest in overseas opportunities, he secured a position abroad, underscoring how quickly global markets absorb talent from countries like Sri Lanka.

In his current capacity, he is involved in large-scale solar developments, including a 22-megawatt land-mounted solar project in Mangatora and an 11-megawatt solar tracking system implementation in Tatuwani, Hamilton. These projects highlight the scale and sophistication of renewable energy investments in developed markets; projects that benefit directly from the expertise of engineers trained in countries like Sri Lanka.

His role is not narrowly defined. Instead, he manages responsibilities that would typically be distributed across several positions, reflecting both his capability and the level of trust placed in his experience. This kind of professional versatility is precisely what makes engineers like him attractive to international employers, and difficult to retain locally.

The broader implication is clear. While Sri Lanka continues to produce skilled engineers with hands-on experience in emerging sectors like solar energy, the domestic ecosystem often struggles to offer comparable opportunities, resources, or financial incentives. Infrastructure alone is not sufficient to retain talent; career growth, exposure to large-scale projects, and competitive compensation all play a role.

Meanwhile, countries with established renewable energy markets benefit from this migration. They gain professionals who not only bring technical knowledge but also practical experience in implementing solutions under resource-constrained conditions; an asset in any project environment.

For Sri Lanka, the challenge is not just about preventing brain drain, but about rethinking how to create an environment where such talent can thrive locally. Without that shift, the country risks becoming a training ground for expertise that ultimately fuels progress elsewhere.

The story of engineers like Mendis’ is not an isolated one. It reflects a broader pattern where the global demand for renewable energy expertise intersects with local limitations, creating a one-way flow of talent. As the world accelerates toward cleaner energy, the question remains whether Sri Lanka can find ways to retain the very individuals capable of leading that transition at home.