A Hiring Bright Spot: Solar Energy Jobs

Over the next 12 months, almost 50 percent of solar firms expect to add jobs

October 17, 2011 RSS Feed Print

In an economy plagued by high unemployment and slow growth, one young industry has an optimistic outlook.

Over the next 12 months, nearly 50 percent of 2,100 solar firms surveyed say they expect to add jobs, while less than 3 percent plan job cuts, according to the National Solar Jobs Census 2011, issued by The Solar Foundation. "The solar industry is not only an economic powerhouse, but it's also a tremendous jobs creator," says Andrea Luecke, executive director of The Solar Foundation.

As consumers become more educated about solar energy and costs continue to fall, job growth within the industry is expected to come from a variety of subsectors and occupations. Installation firms, for example, expect to add a little over 13,000 jobs next year, and manufacturing firms expect to add almost 3,500 job over the same time period. In addition, sales and distribution firms expect to create more than 6,000 jobs.

[See The 50 Best Careers for 2011.]

As of the end of August, there were just over 100,000 U.S. solar industry employees—workers who spend at least 50 percent of their time supporting solar-related activities. That's up almost 7 percent from August 2010, and double the number of solar jobs in 2009. (To put that number in perspective, the growth rate for solar jobs was almost 10 times higher than the national average employment growth rate of 0.7 percent.) Compare that to the fossil fuel industry, which experienced negative growth of 2 percent over the same time period. The Solar Foundation expects the number of solar jobs to grow by about 24 percent, or about 24,000 new jobs, by August 2012.

One residential installation company, Oakland, Calif.-based Sungevity, has almost tripled its workforce, from 100 employees in August 2010 to close to 300 employees in August 2011. It plans to expand into new markets in Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey as the demand for residential solar continues to grow.

[See Job Outlook Improving for the Class of 2012.]

Sales, distribution, and training company Ontility, based in Houston, has doubled its staff from 35 employees to 77 over the past year, and has plans to hire more. Janet Hughes, executive vice president at Ontility, says the company is hiring because there is growing demand for solar training for workers in a number of different industries. "We do everything from entry-level to advanced solar training for electricians and roofers and builders and different kinds of construction folks who are getting into the industry," Hughes says. She says the company has plans to open warehouses on both the East and West coasts.

Still, there are a number of growth barriers for the industry. In the survey, general economic conditions (32 percent), lack of state incentives (21 percent), and overall lack of awareness by consumers (18 percent) ranked highest among employers' concerns. Of those surveyed, 5 percent complained that they were having trouble finding qualified applicants. Luecke says the vast majority of jobs in this field tend to be high-skilled occupations, and employers in the industry tend to be extremely selective.

[See Despite High Unemployment, Millions of Job Openings.]

"Employers are saying, 'Look, we received plenty of applications. That's not the problem. We have more applicants than we can handle. It's just that they're not skilled enough,'" Luecke says. "The message here is that to get a job, you need to be experienced, you need to be able to hit the ground running."

Twitter: @benbaden

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So we mandate the use of solar and provide generaous subsidies and then tout the industry as a bright spot?

Is this insane or what?

Solar jobs are completely artifical and drain the general public of disposable income which woudl create real jobs.

theenergygame.blogspot.com

David Bergeron of AZ 3:08AM October 24, 2011

How long should an employer look for someone who can hit the ground running? Six months? Do they think there might be workers with strong academic background and many of the skills that could pick up those skills in six months that could be hired immediately? I remember the days when good sized companies took responsibility for training employees instead of whining. If employers can't find skilled workers then they should work with the unemployment dept, colleges, or any local training. Make an effort because there are lots of unemployed professionals out there with good skills that are fast learners if given the chance.

Brian of IL 10:28PM October 18, 2011

Now if we can get the School in this Great Nation to Teach more on Solar Energy.

When this Old World starts getting you down. From Pollution the cost of OIL,

Heating Fuel,The Fuel you put in your Vehicles, You Electric Bills from

cooling air conditioners and lights not to speak of the Evil. The TAX that all

Governments Federal, State, County and City put on everything they can thing of.

They are supposed to serve us. Not put a burden on its people. That they are

elected to serve all the people you, not their own Pocket Books.

The Wicked keep putting higher taxes on everything. Making it a Heavy

Burden on many that are already struggling just to put food on the table.

Too many Americans have lost their home to the tax collector or to foreclosures

from the unjust bankers greed. More are out of work and lost their homes then

in the GREAT DEPRESSION,in the last ten years. All Americans and many Nations

need good jobs and more of them. Not more TAXES.

There is a Industry that will employ workers and is growing by more then 50%

every year. There is a clear way for all up on the roof the Sun Light is free

fuel from GOD. Some wicked in Government have been backing Coal, Oil, Gas and

the Nuclear industries for too many years. These kickbacks to them were called

Subsidizing Industry Technology. Most all Wise Men and smart Economist and

Environmentalists call this padding their pockets and subsidizing back to the

Stone Age.

This might even been funny in the 1960's. If it were a Fred Flintstones and

Barny Rubble Movie. About How to aggressively systematically work with the rich

to Pollute Ground Water quality to the point it is unsafe to drink or use.

So to they make a law you can only buy water from their pipe line. And to make

the air we breath full of Toxic Gases, Sulfur Dioxide and more Radioactive

and Acid Rain. Injuring all living things on Earth.

With Fred Flintstones to the Rescue. To help create a Healthier Environment.

For all Future Generations. By spotlighting Renewable Energy and Free Energy

like Wind and Solar. On his and his neighbor Barny Rubble's roof. Even though

the greedy wicked would do everything to stop or slow them down.

Just imagine a dream that a 100 years ago one of the smartest man to ever

live had. A dream after working with Sun Light. That all on Earth would use

Free Energy Solar Energy.

That Dream also shared by a man that dreamed this over 2,250 years ago.

Both These men showed the world in their days. That this dream of Free Energy

Solar Energy World wide was very possible. Both of these two wise men had

first hand worked and researched their experiments for not just days, weeks

put for many years.

One of these men used chalk on Black Board the others board was a black

stone table or floor covered with white sand and used a stick. One of these

two Brilliant men had Kings from all most every Kingdom on Earth come to him

for advice.

The other went to almost every nation on Earth. Freely on his own dime

Teaching All that had ears to hear. He would win the Nobel Prize for doing so.

For his work on Solar Energy. Only after years of doing research and when most

Scientist on Earth would not take the nomination for the Nobel Prize in 1921 and knew

it clearly belonged to this Brilliant Scientist, this Brilliant scientist was then awarded it in

1922 for the 1921 year.

Now if this was just a Pretend TV Show or a Movie from a dream. This would

be a great Sci Fi Story Line. In the 1960's or even better to day. Sci Fi story

Movie or dream No.

All that i Have told you did actually really happen. Albert Einstein won the

Nobel Prize for what? When Government leaders asked him to go on stage. To

address the Scientific Community and the World. About what he was given the

Nobel Prize for. When Albert Einstein Had done so. He addressed them with his

other accomplishments. For years most Governments did not have a ear for

Einstein's Dream.

Archimedes around 250 B.C. was know most of the World over as a great

Mathematician. One of the first Scientist and Inventor of many things. Even

the first Laser Ray from the Sun's Energy. Science Fiction is what you would

have though you were seeing if you could go back in time, it was real.To day

we call it The LASER, Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission. Back then it

was just called Amplification of the SUN, Archimedes Death Ray.

Thousand of years later it would be a Laser. That Albert Einstein help

make possible. That would unlock one of the first books on Earth.

The METHOD written by Archimedes. Then over more then 250 years later. When

well Faded was cut from a scroll and put into a book form, to be easier to

hide from the Romans by St. Paul. This book sold for over 2 million dollars.

In New york at Christie's Auction House.

These two are at the top of the list of the World's Greatest Scientists,

Viewed by Scientist around the World.

Sad that for the last 25 years or so of every teacher asked no matter what

Grade k through 16. 80% of them did not know Archimedes. Even sadder 90%

of them could not tell you what one of the most Brilliant Scientist to ever

live on Earth. Won the Nobel Prize for.

It was for the work Albert Einstein did to show the World it could get

Free Energy, Electric from the SUN. PHOTOVOLTAICS

You ask this question to any Military general 95% of them will get it right.

Even more surprising 99% of them will know more about Archimedes then most

Teachers on Earth. Generals know Energy is the key to Winning.

At almost one thousand to one Archimedes always won against what all knew was

impossible odds. Archimedes home town city of Syracuse was victorious against the

greatest Kingdoms Armies on earth many times. Syracuse once was one of the most

powerful cities in the World.

I can only ask you to please look into Solar Energy, Solar Power, Solar Panels

and Solar array on the internet under Images. To see and explore for your self

then you be the JURY.

More then 10 years ago the Internet became most of the World's Universities

Learning Platform. A Modern Day Archimedes Resource Center.

The Solar Energy Industry in the year 2010 has leaped ahead farther and

faster then any other industry on Earth. The Solar Industry in the

United States of America alone, has grown by more then 50% in 2010 and it looks

like that number will go up even higher this year 2011.

The strong benefits of Solar Energy is Clear Clean Air viewed in major cities

as improving air quality. Clean Cities. By all that use there brain for good .

View it as protecting the environment and Freedom from OIL.

While the Federal Government has eased the Tax on Renewable Energy till the end

of this year 2011. Some cities in the states that these Legislators come from have

worked against these tax credits.

By doing so they are showing their true objectives. That they have stock in some power plants and do not want to lose all that Money they have been taking out of your pocket books for too many years. By taxing you on your Energy Bills. They want to Control Power and Tax Everything they can. Not let People be free to get their own power from the top of their own roofs.

By adding their own taxes to them. These wicked leaders think that this will take away the incentives to harvest the Free Energy from the Sun.

The Public ability and awareness for all on Earth to use the Natural Solar Energy, is Contributing to Production of Solar Energy Products. Making the Solar Energy Industry the fastest growing on Earth. A Wealth of Free Energy From The SUN.

The more the wicked try to slow the Solar Energy Industry down, it only Enhances

involvement and the efforts of the Good at Heart.

GOD Bless you for reading this.

The Lord's little Helper

Paul Felix Schott

PS

through out History Many have tried to wipe the good from our history books.

Read the Bible Jesus will Bless you more then i can.

SolarWorld has been presenting a Einstein Award to personalities who have advanced the use of solar energy - and helped our Planet Earth.

We all need to tell all our Teachers and Leaders to use our Nation's Energy more wisely and efficient. Start to Teach all our Young about Renewable Energy Solar, Wind, and so on.

Paul Felix Schott of HI 7:49PM October 18, 2011

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