In Portland, Tennessee, 400 new solar jobs will be created over the next four years as Shoals announced it will be making solar energy system components at a new facility.

Green solar jobs at Shoals in Portland, Tennessee

The 75,000 square foot facility will open this month, costing about $10.5 million.  Shoals Technologies Group has “re-tooled” over the past year, changing its focus from an automotive parts manufacturer to the solar industry.  Since its shift in 2009, the company has experienced double-digit growth.  In fact, Shoals’s diversification into renewable energy manufacturing has resulted in a significant boost for the green energy economy.

Shoals is one of Sumner County’s top employers.  It manufacturers  solar components, which are sold to India and China.  People that are hired for one of the 400 new solar jobs will work on the assembly line, or fill new slots in the engineering department.

Evergreen Solar moves U.S. production of solar panels to China

Since the recession began in 2007, the United States government has purported to try to stimulate the economy and create new jobs.  Green jobs have been one of the Administration’s focuses, but apparently not enough so.

Last week, Evergreen Solar – the third largest maker of solar panels in the United States – announced that it was closing its main factory here and moving production to China.  The stated reason?  Higher government support there.

Evergreen Solar is entering a joint venture with a Chinese company and laying off about 800 American workers in Devens, Massachusetts by the end of March 2011.  Not surprisingly, the move of the solar panel maker to China has resulted in a political outcry.  Here in the U.S., people are wondering how many more green solar jobs will be lost to China.  And the Obama Administration is investigating whether China has violated free trade rules of the WTO by offering extensive subsidies to manufacturers of solar panels.

Evergreen’s CEO Michael El-Hillow commented that the decision to close the U.S. manufacturing plant was in response to dropping prices for solar panels, down about 2/3 over the past three years.  Chinese manufacturers of solar panels have been able to push prices down because costs to build them are generally lower in China:

“While the United States and other Western industrial economies are beneficiaries of rapidly declining installation costs of solar energy, we expect the United States will continue to be at a disadvantage from a manufacturing standpoint.”

Cheap solar panels produced in China

Consider these facts:

• Chinese solar panel manufacturers made up over 1/2 of the world’s production of PV
• U.S. consumers are purchasing China solar panels at an increasing rate – they make up 23% of the market currently and still rising
• China is also making gains in the wind energy markets, surpassing the U.S. as the world’s largest manufacturer and installer of turbines
• Factory labor in China is especially cheap – workers draw about $300 a month, vs. $5,400 a month for U.S.-based workers
• Government loans in China offer exceptionally low interest rates from state-owned banks

So, what can be done to keep green solar jobs in the U.S.?  More federal support?  Better incentives?

Can we compete with the clean energy policies of China that offer such attractive financing and other assistance to solar panel manufacturers?

Home solar panels on the rise in 2009

If you’re thinking about switching to solar energy, this may be your year!  The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) issued a report recently that shows the home solar market doubled in 2009.  Projections for 2010 indicate that residential solar panels will continue to sell at a rapid pace, stating that this year will be a “banner year for solar growth in the U.S.”

Overall, the home solar sector comprised most of the 37% solar industry growth last year.  As encouraging is the fact that the solar market growth will continue to lead to new green solar jobs.  So far, the industry already supports nearly 50,000 jobs in the U.S., and the number is expected to increase by 20% this year.

Sunshine encouraging growth

There are so many reasons to go solar – whether for Earth Day, to save on electricity costs, or to encourage growth of the national economy.  The residential solar power market is showing signs of a bright future.  Don’t you think?

Green solar jobs - for you?

These days, its all about green solar jobs.  With record high unemployment, an economy in ruins and global climate change news grabbing headlines each week, what is the real story about jobs in the renewable energy industry?  Are we really heading towards a green economy?

Wired Science.com recently published a report showing that growth in the green jobs sector outpaced other classifications by about 250% over the past 10 years.  Between 1998-2007, renewable energy jobs grew by over 9%, compared to less than 4% for the overall job market.

For more good news, a report from the Pew Charitable Trust says that 68,200 businesses employ 770,000 green workers.  Lest you are not impressed with those figures, note that the overall segment of jobs in the RE sector is approaching the same percentage as those in “traditional” energy (coal mining and big oil).

Finally, progress!

Ready for a green solar job?

Green solar jobs may be an even better place to seek employment than biotechnology, in fact.  Notes the Pew Charitable Trusts researchers:

“Although our numbers are conservative, our report provides the most precise depiction to date of the clean energy economy in the United States.”

With the Obama administration pushing a renewable energy economy, along with its plan for economic recovery, one can expect to see even greater growth in green solar jobs in the coming years.  Predicted a team from the Goldman School of Public Policy:

“Across a broad range of scenarios, the renewable energy sector generates more jobs than the fossil fuel-based energy sector per unit of energy delivered (i.e., per average megawatt).”

The U.S. economy will be able to create even more green solar jobs, if pending climate and energy savings bills pass Congress and become law.  If cap and trade becomes law (let alone targets for renewable energy generation), we’ll soon be seeing a significant increase of employment in the green energy sector.

Be sure to check your local papers for information on green solar jobs.  In the meantime, you may want to go back to community college to obtain any additional certifications that may be needed, whether you are an engineer, construction worker, or something in between.

What is going on in your community?  Please let us know in the comments below.