Even in the face of generally high unemployment, solar power is a bright spot in the USA’s generally grim job scene.
A review of the solar workforce in the United States by The Solar Foundation has found more than 50 percent of solar employers nationally plan to increase their workforce in the next year.
According to U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, the study shows renewable energy investments made through the U.S. Recovery act, which include USD $2.3 billion in tax credits, are generating favourable results and the nation’s solar energy sector is gaining importance as a source of jobs for Americans.
Andrea Luecke, acting executive director of The Solar Foundation, says the census found jobs in the solar power sector are expected to grow by 26 percent in the coming year, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs by August 2011.
The Solar Foundation points out the growth is significantly higher than the forecast three percent net job loss in fossil fuel power generation and an expectation of two percent growth for the entire economy over the same period.
The National Solar Jobs Census 2010 was conducted by The Solar Foundation and Green LMI Consulting with technical assistance from Cornell University. The report included data from more than 2,400 solar company survey respondents.
The Solar Foundation is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organisation founded in 1977 under the name of Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation. For over 30 years, the organisation has promoted the use of solar energy technologies to help meet the world’s energy needs.
