(Image Credit: 123rf.com)
Contributed by Will White, Solar Application Specialist, Fluke
In 2021, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced an ambitious target of increasing solar energy production to 30% of the total energy used in the U.S. by 2030. In 2022 only about 4.7% of the total energy in the U.S. came from solar. So reaching that goal will require adding about 48 GW of solar capacity each year.
But that’s just part of the challenge. Adding more solar generation capacity means adding more workers. A lot more workers. SEIA estimates that about a million solar workers will be needed to scale, maintain, and operate the clean energy infrastructure required to meet climate goals within that same timeframe. That is nearly a 278% increase from the 263,883 solar workers reported in 2022. Since the solar energy workforce grew by only 3.5% from 2021 to 2022, the challenge is obvious.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s 2022 National Solar Jobs Census reported that 44% of solar industry employers find it “very difficult” to find qualified applicants. Addressing that deficiency will require effort across the value chain to educate, train, and equip workers with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed as solar professionals.
Like many a long journey, it starts with a methodical step-by-step approach.
Tapping into a rich potential resource of existing skills
As demand for more clean energy workers heats up, the number of jobs in the oil and gas industry is declining. While there has been some recovery in 2022, employment in these industries is down from pre-pandemic levels. Some of that decline is due to layoffs, and some is due to workers leaving the industry to explore opportunities in renewable energy. In a 2021 survey of oil and gas professionals, 56% said they would be interested in pursuing opportunities in the renewables sector, compared to 38.8% who indicated that interest in 2020.
That’s good news because these workers have the skills and energy industry knowledge that will be crucial to quickly building a highly skilled workforce in solar and other renewable energy jobs. It is important to reach out to these energy workers to let them know about the professional opportunities available to them in the solar sector and the training resources available to help them transition into solar energy careers.
Growing industry and government support
Effective training is critical to ensuring the quality and efficiency of new solar power solutions. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office offers a rich set of resources to bring more people into the solar energy workforce. It is also funding workforce training programs to equip solar workers with the skills and expertise to help ensure solar systems are reliable and safe.
To reinforce that support, in July 2023, SEIA gained approval from the American National Standards Institute to develop 11 new national solar and energy storage standards. Included in that group are standards governing training for solar installation, operations and maintenance, and health and safety. These SEIA standards are a critical step toward establishing consistent quality in solar workforce training program
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