The use of renewable energy and green building practices and materials has truly skyrocketed in the past few years, but it seems that this meteoric rise in eco-friendly energy sources is only expected to grow.
According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions:
- Between 2017 and 2050, the use of solar generation is projected to climb from 11% to 48%, making it the fastest-growing electricity source.
- Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the U.S., making a 100% increase from 2000 to 2018.
What else should you know about green energy? The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) stated that:
- In May of 2019, the U.S. surpassed 2 million solar panels installed in the country. This came only three years after reaching 1 million solar panels, which took more than 40 years to achieve.
- SEIA also estimates that the total number of panels nationwide will reach 3 million in 2021 and 4 million in 2023, becoming the new dominant form of energy.
Since renewable energy sources are experiencing such dramatic growth, it’s no surprise that many are wondering how this will affect the job market. What do you need to know?
A Brand New Workforce
The Environmental Defense Fund puts it best with the title of its recent article, “Clean Energy Is Building a New American Workforce.”
The renewable energy sector currently employs around 777,000 people, which is the same as the U.S. telecommunications industry and more than four times the amount of people employed by the coal industry, which employs around 160,000. This workforce doesn’t just have a major presence, it’s also growing. From 2016 to 2017, jobs in solar energy alone grew a staggering 24.5%.
Why are we seeing such a boom in the job market for renewable energy sources? The Environmental Defense Fund chalks it up to a few contributing factors:
- A decrease in energy costs for renewable energy sources like solar panels.
- Increased demand for clean energy and energy-efficient technology.
- Supportive policies like tax credits and investments.
The Green Energy Job Outlook
This sudden burst in jobs working in renewable energy isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment of solar photovoltaic installers will grow 51% between 2019 and 2029, which far exceeds the national average for all occupations.
The solar energy industry in particular is creating thousands of green jobs for Americans. It’s expected that the global market for renewable solar energy will become a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity for U.S. firms over the next 25 years.
Green energy isn’t just a solid job prospect; it’s an investment in our environment and our climate. Solar panels consume significantly less energy to make than they produce over their lifetime. Many consumers and job creators are looking to solar energy as an alternative energy resource because:
- It reduces air pollution and water usage
- It lowers our dependence on nonrenewable energy resources
- It improves our health through better air quality
- It helps fight climate change
For all these reasons, America’s top corporations such as Apple and Amazon are investing in solar energy. The U.S. Federal Government has also invested $51.2 billion in solar and wind energies. Confidence in solar energy is high, and money is quickly following, which makes for a highly promising job market for years to come.
Get Involved in the Green Revolution
Sunlight is the most abundant source of potential energy on the planet—renewable or nonrenewable. In fact, if properly harnessed, sunlight could quickly exceed both current and future electricity demands. The U.S. Department of Energy states that every hour, energy from the sun that reaches the Earth could meet the world’s energy demands for an entire year.
Solar energy is the future of energy usage, and it also offers undeniable future job potential for the foreseeable future.
At the Center for Employment Training, we see the writing on the wall; there’s obvious proof that solar energy and green building construction is the future. This is why we’re proud to offer programs in Green Building Construction Skills, which includes on-site training to not only learn how to construct buildings from the ground up but how to do so in an eco-friendly way.
And we’re training our students in the green building construction program with the skills they need to install photovoltaic systems—solar panels—so they are ready for a brand-new career in this burgeoning field in eight to nine months.
Want to join the exciting field of green energy? At CET, you can start as soon as tomorrow! Contact us today to learn more!
Amy Lawrence : Mar 2, 2020 9:00:00 PM
Amy Lawrence