In the six months since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed into law, the US has seen over 100,000 new clean energy jobs created across 31 states as companies begin to capitalise on the incentives and security that the bill offers.
The solar industry of the future could see frontier markets become core countries for investment while developers may explore more decentralised projects to overcome land challenges.
The largest solar investment in US history, a pivot to a vertically integrated PV manufacturing facility in the state of Georgia by Qcells, was enabled by a combination of state support, federal government investment and related benefits coming from the Inflation Reduction (IRA), according to the company.
Europe’s solar industry must address the talent shortage, supply chain challenges and permitting hurdles to build on last year’s strong installation figures, according to PV industry experts.
Sky-high electricity prices and an increasing urgency to curb fossil fuel led to a surge in European solar additions last year. Jules Scully charts how the continent’s ongoing energy crisis is affecting EU renewables policy and PPA appetite.
Under the REPowerEU scenario to install 750GWdc of solar across the European Union by 2030, the bloc will require 1 million solar workers, double the numbers from 2021.
Installation and project development companies drove job creation in the US solar sector last year as the industry employed 255,037 workers, a 9.2% increase on 2020, a report has revealed.
The US solar industry added 17,212 jobs in 2021, up 5.4% on 2020 figures, with 40% of all US energy jobs now focused on the transition to a net zero economy, according to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) US Energy and Employment Report (USEER).
Renewable energy companies globally are at risk of a talent exodus to outside industries as professionals consider alternative sectors to boost their careers prospect, a new report has suggested.
