| |
| Solar Energy Fact Sheets
Informative Fact Sheets
about Solar Energy
|
Solar: Jobs for Today and Tomorrow
"Solar and
wind power have tremendous potential to create clean jobs for the United States
while reducing emissions as we enter the twenty-first century."- Al Gore,
Vice President of the U.S.
The rapidly growing, high-tech U.S. solar energy industry creates thousands
of jobs for Americans. With over 60% of solar technology sales in exports,
the jobs that are created stay in the U.S. and help reduce the trade deficit. In 1995, over 45,000 jobs were directly or indirectly related to energy
efficiency and renewable energy programs. The use of solar and renewable energy is expected to double by the year
2010 which would create more than 350,000 net new jobs, as many as employed
by the nation's largest automaker. The solar industries directly employ nearly 20,000 people and support over
150,000 jobs in diverse areas such as glass and steel manufacturing, electrical
and plumbing contracting, architecture and system design, battery and electrical
equipment. 3,800 jobs are created for every $100 million in solar cell (PV) sales.
This translates approximately to 12,160 jobs in 1995 alone. Solar thermal power plants create two and one-half times as many skilled,
high paying jobs for the communities in which they operate as do conventional
power plants that use fossil fuels. Over the next 25 years, the worldwide market for renewable/solar energy
and energy efficiency represents a multi-trillion dollar opportunity for U.S.
firms. Photovoltaics, a solar technology in which the U.S. is currently the world's
leader, is now being used in over 175,000 villages worldwide, producing thousands
of jobs, and creating sustainable economic opportunity in over 140 countries
worldwide. The solar energy industry creates high-wage, skilled jobs throughout the
entire United States, here are a few examples:
| Wisconsin |
a 75 percent increase in renewable energy use would result
in more than 62,000 new jobs and $1.2 billion in new wages. |
| Nevada |
the number of jobs created by the Solar Enterprise Zone
by the year 2003 could be 40,000. |
| Long Island, New York |
using energy conservation and solar energy would create
four times more jobs in the local economy than using oil, natural gas,
or electricity for energy needs. |
|
