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Friday, February 22, 2019

Solar employment brightly shines in Minnesota




©Mark Ollig 


Minnesota’s job growth in the solar industry looks bright; especially with solar installations, per the 2018 National Solar Jobs Census Report.


The 80-page report analyzes employment and other statistics within the US solar industry.

Published by The Solar Foundation, the report provides wide-ranging survey results from solar industry employers.

Our state is experiencing rapid growth in residential, commercial, and community solar panel/power installations (nearly 4,000 as of 2018).

Minnesota has approximately 160 solar companies (and growing), which include manufacturers, developers, designers, and installers.

In the US alone, more than $1.5 billion was invested in solar during 2018.

Minnesota, as pointed out in the report, has strict solar licensing requirements, which may slow solar installations; however, these precautions ensure safety.

Our state considers solar installations “electrical work,” and thus, requires an installer to be at least a journey-level (completed an apprenticeship program or an experienced worker), or a licensed master-level electrician to complete the electrical phases within a photovoltaic (PV) installation.

New solar installation electrical sites in Minnesota require at least one licensed electrician for every two unlicensed electricians.

The report states that a large installation in Minnesota could require 20 licensed electricians if the solar PV installation employs 40 workers.

The most challenging position to fill is an electrician, according to 43 percent of Minnesota solar companies surveyed, which may be a result of our state’s licensing requirements.

Solar companies in Minnesota occasionally hire electricians from other states, because sometimes there are not enough local electricians available to meet solar installations/maintenance demands.

The report found that, on average, 10 percent of the electrical work for solar installations in Minnesota was performed by non-resident electricians.

As the solar industry continues to grow, we will need more licensed electricians, and community and technical college courses teaching solar PV installation under state and industry accreditation.

Seven states have solar-specific license requirements, six states accept the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification, and 10 states have no licensing requirements to perform solar installation work.

While not always needed, solar-specific licensing, including NABCEP, can be advantageous, as the training explicitly addresses the relevant skill sets required to carry out solar installations.

Solar companies surveyed in 2018 said they required solar installation experience for 60 percent of all new employees; an increase from 55 percent needed in 2017.

In 2018, California lawmakers passed a “rooftop solar mandate” for new homes, which is estimated to produce a 14 percent increase in total US solar sales over the next four years.

Solar employment for 2018 totaled 242,343, and is categorized in the following sectors:

• Installation/project development: 155,157.

• Wholesale trade/distribution: 29,243.

• Operations/maintenance: 11,164.

• Manufacturing: 33,726.

• Related sectors: 13,053.

Last year, there were 4,602 employed in Minnesota solar-related jobs. In 2017, there were 4,256.

Besides the installation of solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, batteries to store solar energy are crucial in providing electricity to consumers and businesses who switch to it when the power goes off.

The report stated that 3,900 jobs are directly related to battery storage.

Employment has increased in solar industry software companies, such as Aurora Solar, which provides residential and commercial solar design and software sales programs for solar installation companies.

Aurora Solar, based in San Francisco, CA, has doubled its workforce over the past year.

The National Solar Jobs Census Report includes data gathered between September and October 2018, including information from approximately 59,300 phone calls, and more than 49,000 emails.

The solar industry outlook for this year is positive. Based on the report’s survey results, solar jobs are expected to increase by 7 percent in 2019, bringing the total employment jobs to around 259,400.

Nationwide, the Solar Energy Industries Association reports 1,904,000 solar systems have been installed. They are producing 60 gigawatts of electrical power.

Minnesota’s energy profile from the US Energy Information Administration can be found at https://bit.ly/2X8akJ4.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce solar webpage is https://mn.gov/commerce/industries/energy/solar.

The 2018 National Solar Jobs Census Report and other information is available at https://www.thesolarfoundation.org/national.

While writing this column, I looked out the window and noted the blue sky and an abundance of energy-producing sunshine.

Credit: US Department of Energy