Photo voltaic vitality jobs rose in 47 states and elevated 9% nationwide from 2020 to 2021 to a complete of 255,037 photo voltaic employees, based on the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s (IREC) annual Nationwide Photo voltaic Jobs Census.
This job progress happened in a yr of document photo voltaic installations pushed by elevated demand for renewable vitality amongst residential clients, municipalities, companies and electrical utilities. General, the photo voltaic trade added 21,563 jobs in 2021, with greater than two-thirds of those new jobs (14,350) at set up and venture growth corporations.
“America’s photo voltaic trade got here again sturdy from the pandemic to increase the clear vitality workforce throughout all areas of the nation,” states Larry Sherwood, president and CEO at IREC. “The long run stays unsure in mild of the availability chain disruptions, commerce points, and stalled federal coverage within the first a part of 2022. There’s potential for unprecedented job progress within the coming years if federal, state, and native leaders take motion to increase clear vitality use and handle local weather change.”
Over the previous decade, U.S. photo voltaic employment has greater than doubled from 105,145 jobs in 2011 to 255,037 jobs in 2021. Probably the most vital progress has taken place within the set up and venture growth sector, the place employment greater than tripled since 2011 to succeed in 168,960 jobs in 2021.
On the state degree, California continues to guide within the complete variety of photo voltaic jobs with 75,712 jobs as of 2021, adopted by Florida (11,761 jobs), Massachusetts (10,548 jobs), New York (10,524 jobs) and Texas (10,346 jobs). These are adopted by Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Ohio, every with 7,000 to 9,000 jobs.
California additionally led for the variety of jobs added in 2021 (7,035 new jobs), adopted by Massachusetts (+1,053 jobs), Nevada (+1,019 jobs) and Arizona (+932 jobs). Different sturdy progress states had been Ohio, North Carolina, New Jersey and Georgia, every with 800–900 new jobs.
“Photo voltaic vitality is an financial progress engine, creating new jobs whereas it helps us confront the local weather disaster,” says Dan Reicher, senior scholar at Stanford Woods Institute and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Power. “There’s huge and untapped potential to increase photo voltaic installations and associated jobs throughout america, in an environmentally sustainable method, as we assist companies and households entry this renewable vitality supply.”
The photo voltaic trade nonetheless has extra work to do to fulfill its objectives for variety, fairness and inclusion, and prolong the advantages of the clear vitality economic system to underrepresented teams. The report discovered that girls made up just below 30% of the photo voltaic workforce in 2021, whereas Black workers made up 8% of the workforce, Latino or Hispanic employees made up 20%, and Asian employees made up 9%. Fewer than one-third of photo voltaic corporations reported methods to extend feminine, ethnic or racial minority, or LGBTQ+ hires.
The photo voltaic trade can provide a path to development and a family-sustaining profession, together with for these with out a two- or four-year faculty diploma. Lower than one-third of entry-level photo voltaic jobs (31%) require a bachelor’s diploma, whereas 65 p.c of corporations present on-the-job coaching. In a yr with a good labor market, 89% of corporations reported issue discovering certified candidates, together with 35 p.c that stated it was “very troublesome.”
“These 2021 findings spotlight that we will create family-sustaining jobs on the similar time that we scale back carbon emissions,” provides Tom Starrs, vice chairman of presidency and public affairs at EDP Renewables. “Additionally they spotlight the crucial significance of supportive insurance policies to unlock the complete potential of the photo voltaic trade to drive employment, foster native vitality resilience, and confront local weather change.”
This report analyzes information from the U.S. Division of Power’s U.S. Power and Employment Report 2022 and a supplemental follow-up survey of photo voltaic institutions. Each surveys had been administered by BW Analysis Partnership. The Nationwide Photo voltaic Jobs Census defines a photo voltaic worker as somebody who spends 50% or extra of their time on solar-related work.
Learn the complete report here.
