New data from the Solar Jobs Census 2016 shows that employment in the solar-power industry increased by a historic 25% nationwide from 2015 to 2016, for a total of 260,077 workers.
The industry added 51,218 new jobs in 2016, a growth rate about 17 times faster than that of the overall U.S. economy, which grew by 1.45%. One out of every 50 new jobs added in the U.S. was created by the solar industry, representing 2% percent of all new jobs.
Growth occurred in 44 of the 50 states. And in 21 states, solar jobs grew by 50% or more, according to The Solar Foundation.
Competition among manufacturers has already brought down the cost of panels to grid parity in many places. Competition in installation can't help but bring those costs down, too.
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday March 30 2017, @01:09AM
Once solar reaches grid parity, it makes sense that you would pay as much to supply the grid as you draw from it. If you want to avoid grid charges: you need to invest in batteries, or simply size you panels to supply your AC and little else.