Solar Jobs Census Predicts Record Growth In Solar Sector Employment

Hiring in the solar workforce is on the rise, and more than half of solar employers nationally plan to increase their workforce in the next year, according to "National Solar Jobs Census 2010: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce," a report released by the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit solar education and research organization.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 includes data from more than 2,400 solar company survey respondents.

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%, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs by August 2011.By comparison, the fossil-fuel power generation sector is expected to have a 3% net job loss, and the overall economy is expected to have a 2% growth rate over the same period.“Among other things, this study shows that investments made through [the American Recovery and Reinvestment] Act - including the $2.3 billion in tax credits to U.S.-based clean energy manufacturing - are already generating positive results,” says Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. 

“The solar energy sector is an increasingly important source of good jobs for Americans. Fostering the growth of this emerging industry will help protect our environment, ensure the U.S. remains competitive in the global economy and offer great opportunities for the nation’s working families.”SOURCE: The Solar Foundation

The U.S. solar electric market - including PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) installations - could surpass 1 GW of installed capacity in 2010, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research.The report includes data from the first half of the year, and forecasts that 944 MW of solar electric capacity (866 MW of PV and 79 MW of CSP) will be installed in the U.S. in 2010. This represents a 114% increase over the capacity added in 2009.

 However, the report says the industry has the potential to reach up to 1.3 GW by year's end, which would represent a 156% increase over the capacity added in 2009.California led all states in solar electric capacity installed in the first six months of the year, with 12 MW, followed by New Jersey, Arizona and Florida. In total, 341 MW were installed in the first half of the year. The report projects a stronger second half for 2010 because of one large CSP project, a number of large PV projects and continued strength in the residential and nonresidential markets.In addition, the solar heating and cooling market experienced growth. 

The solar water heating segment will have a sixth consecutive year of growth in 2010, increasing 16%, and the solar pool heating segment is expected to grow by 7%.The report also projects market demand through 2015. The study's more aggressive projections forecast that annual U.S. solar electric installations will approach SEIA's goal of installing 10 GW per year by 2015, while its baseline forecasts fall short of that figure.

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