First Ever U.S. Solar Jobs Census Shows Growth in Solar Workforce
This week, Environment America released a new report from the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit solar education and research organization. Environment America was joined by local solar business owner, Jim Kelley, who employs 14 people right here in Delaware, as well as Reverend David Farmer of Silverside Church, which is powered by a solar array. The report is a first-of-its-kind review of the solar workforce in the United States, titled, National Solar Jobs Census 2010: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce (PDF). According to the census, hiring in the solar workforce is on the rise. More than half of solar employers nationally plan to increase their workforce in the next year.
The sun generates more energy in an hour than all the coal mines and oil wells in the world do in a year. This report shows we are on the way to tapping the sun’s potential, generating pollution-free energy and a tremendous number of good, green jobs along the way, said Owen Dunn, Field Associate with Environment America. Strong leadership from our state’s elected officials and our leaders in Washington will be critical to turning this solar opportunity into a solar reality.
As of August, the National Solar Jobs Census 2010 identified more than 16,700 solar employment sites and 93,000 solar jobs in all 50 states. It also found that solar employers expect to increase the number of solar workers by 26 percent, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs by August 2011. This rate is significantly higher than both the expected three percent net job loss in fossil fuel power generation and the economy-wide expectation of two percent growth over the same period.
This is the first time anyone has tried to quantify solar jobs along the entire value chain by speaking directly with employers or projected with any certainty solar job growth over the next 12 months, said Andrea Luecke, acting executive director of The Solar Foundation. The fact that a national census is needed to examine the size and nature of the workforce signals that the solar industry is having a substantial and positive impact on the U.S. economy.
The survey examined employment along the solar value chain, including installation, wholesale trade, manufacturing, utilities and all other fields and includes growth rates and job numbers for 31 separate occupations. The report included data from more than 2,400 solar company survey respondents.
As the co-owners of KW Solar, Dale Wolf and I are proud to represent the solar industry. We are helping homeowners, businesses and non-profit organizations gain control of their energy costs and reduce harmful environmental pollutants. In the past six years we have created 14 jobs and are currently looking to hire additional staff to keep up with the demand. Sustainable job creation is a key component in recovery from the current economic dilemma.
The Silverside Church, lead by Pastor Dave Farmer, joins the small state of DE in making a huge statement regarding environmental stewardship. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources has provided a strong foundation for growth by backing the Green Energy initiatives and we look forward to a bright future with their support, said Jim Kelly of KW Solar.
The National Solar Jobs Census 2010 was conducted by The Solar Foundation and Green LMI Consulting with technical assistance from Cornell University.
Much of this growth in the solar industry was made possible by a federal policy called the Treasury Grant Program. The program, which allows solar companies to apply for cash grants in lieu of tax credits they would otherwise receive, was passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The incentive allows companies to continue to receive federal support for solar projects despite the rough economic climate, and is set to expire at the end of this year.
- 2011 Standard Mileage Rates are announced by the IRS
- The Delaware Business Weekly Round Up – December 10th, 2010