Solar Jobs top 119,000 in 2012
The U.S. solar industry has been one of the fastest growing industries over the last 5 years. Today, the solar industry employs 119,000 Americans at 5,600 companies, mostly small businesses, across all 50 states – this is more than double the number working in solar in 2009.
Every year, the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research release the most comprehensive solar market overview for researchers, industry insiders and investers alike.
You can get our latest summary, which highights the major trends in the industry.
Here's a taste of what you will get:
U.S. PV Installations, 2010-Q2 2012
Photovoltaics (PV), which convert sunlight directly to electricity, continue to be the largest component of solar market growth in the U.S. The U.S. installed 742 MW of photovoltaics in the second quarter of 2012. This represents 45% growth over Q1 2012 and 116% growth over Q2 2011. Through the first half of 2012, the U.S. market has already installed 1,254 MW – more than double the amount installed over the same period in 2011.
Prices for Solar Installations Continue to Fall
Quarter-over-quarter, the national weighted-average system price fell by 22 percent, from $4.44/W to $3.45/W. Year-over-year, average installed costs declined by 33 percent.
