The Recruiter's Outlook (June 2024)
William Liuzza
Expert on hiring trends within clean energy, an accomplished author and public speaker
The SolarCoaster: Version 7.0
For as long as I can remember, renewable energy professionals have called the solar industry the “SolarCoaster” because of all the ups and downs. Along the ride, a variety of different reasons led to each rise and fall, including state and federal incentives, import tariffs, forced labor, supply chain shortages and surpluses, a global pandemic, the Great Resignation, interconnection and permitting delays, and the Interest Rate.
A quick Google search tells me that the United States may have borrowed this term from the Australians? That the word entered our lexicon in 2016? Reader insight welcome!
Where’s Our Industry Job Growth?
Talent acquisition trends in solar and renewable energy are no different. In last year’s Solar Job Census, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) noted that job growth in the industry tracked closely to the increase in installed capacity through 2016.
However, in the “five-year period between 2017 and 2022, annual installed capacity nearly doubled while solar jobs grew by 5.4%” due to improved productivity and maturation of the industry. The Census also noted a prominent trend of 2022 of the slow-down in the utility-scale sector while the residential sector experienced record growth.
Well, here we are awaiting the next Census being reported in July, and in true SolarCoaster fashion, the fortunes of utility-scale solar and residential solar have flipped. High interest rates, supply chain issues, bankruptcies, and regulatory roadblocks affecting net-metering (most prominently in California), have all cut into the profits of the formerly high-flying residential sector. Meanwhile, according to the American Clean Power Association (ACP) , “as of the end of Q1 2024, the US’ utility-scale solar pipeline reached 94.5GW, up from about 81.5GW in Q1 2023” and utility-scale installations in 2023 grew significantly over the 2022 numbers.
Recommended by LinkedIn
I can guarantee that IREC is going to be reporting a loss of solar jobs in many states with a strong focus on the residential vertical. However, we’ve seen a few job losses in the small commercial solar industry that is tied to mainstream lending. I’m predicting that the 2023 job growth in commercial solar will be reported as relatively flat, along with onshore and offshore wind.
Frankly, the only bright spot I think we’ll see in our industry job growth is energy storage and utility-scale solar. We will find out soon when the more comprehensive industry jobs report is issued by the US Energy & Employment Jobs Report (USEER).
In July, you can find me at RE+ Mid-Atlantic in Philadelphia. I’d be happy to talk over SolarCoaster stories, and, as always, can help develop your 2024-25 plans for hiring and talent acquisition.
Receive a bonus for a referral to our website
If you are currently exploring a new job in your renewable energy career, we invite you to have a look at our careers portal. Refer a candidate to EnergeiaWorks and if they get hired, we’ll send you an EnergeiaWorks solar backpack with a $1,000 check.
William V. Liuzza, CEO, EnergeiaWorks & Founder of Renewables UnWind