One of the sunniest areas of the job market these days is the solar energy business. As concerns about fossil fuels and global warming increase so too does the demand for photovoltaic installers. The work of installing and servicing solar cells, or photovoltaic (PV) panels is considered one of the “hottest” clean energy jobs. Those with a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification can expect to be paid more than the average wage for construction work.
Skilled Photovoltaic installers put PV panels on roofs, on the ground, or anywhere else where the sun shines. These panels can generate electricity or work in tandem with water heaters to produce solar thermal energy. In 2012, the photovoltaic market in the United States grew by 44 percent over the previous year. At that time there were more than 271,000 solar installations generating enough power for one million homes. While those figures are impressive, the number of PV installations—and properly trained workers needed to perform them—is expected to skyrocket in the coming decade.
The growth in the photovoltaic market is driven by federal tax credits which provide financial incentives for homeowners to go solar. Federal tax incentives are also creating demand for utility-scale commercial PV installations. In states such as California, an extra enticement is at work. A law passed in 2006 requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the state’s renewable energy production to 33 percent by 2020.
As a growing number of PV panels are produced, prices are falling. Photovoltaic workers, with their specialized skills in installation, analysis, and design are keenly qualified to take advantage of this growth. And they will be part of a positive change, slowing global warming while improving the environment. As photovoltaic installer Rebekah Hren says, “As long as there’s sunshine [I] expect to have an outlet for my work. It’s a fun industry to be in right now. It’s kind of like the wild west.”