16.3%
There are 21.3 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity in the U.S. – enough to power more than 4 million homes. And the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) projects that the industry is on track to double both of those numbers by the end of 2016. In order to satisfy America’s demand for solar power, the industry needs all hands on deck. The U.S. solar industry is becoming increasingly diverse, with minorities, women and veterans representing a growing percentage of the workforce.
21.3 Gigawatts
America’s solar energy companies already employ twice as many veterans as the average U.S. business. But as part of Joining Forces, an initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to rally support for U.S. service members, veterans and their families, SEIA committed to having 50,000 veterans working in solar by 2020.
50,000
Women account for more than 37,500 solar workers across America – 21.6 percent of the industry’s total workforce. At SEIA and many of our companies, we are ramping up our training and recruitment opportunities to increase attention to the importance of gender and ethnic diversity in the solar workplace.
37,500
Growing at a rate of more than 20 percent – far outpacing the growth of the overall U.S. economy – the United States solar industry added more than 31,000 jobs in 2014. The explosive growth of solar installations is supplying so much demand that the solar workforce has no choice but to continue growing. Here’s how you can ensure that your company is part of solar’s successful equation:
SOLAR JOBS BY THE NUM3ER5