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Energy jobs? U.S. citizens usually don’t give energy much thought… except as we might worry about the price of gasoline or the monthly electricity bill. Yes, we might also fret a little as we think about how fossil fuels contribute to the growing burden of climate change.

A Shift in Perspective

There is so much more to the energy-jobs story than is generally understood. This is especially true as engineers, materials scientists, and even energy and resource economists are coming up with new critical insights on how energy shapes our larger social and economic wellbeing, as well as the climate and growing environmental burdens.

I have great hope that “rethinking the energy narrative” might positively enhance a more robust and sustainable economy. In the brief account that follows, I’ll lay out working examples of how a deeper understanding of jobs might change our minds about the nation’s energy consumption as it enables the greater good.

Looking at jobs figures can give us reasons for both caution and optimism.

Energy Enables Work

On any given day, someone may be welding together critical parts of an infrastructure that will generate a useful amount of solar-powered electricity. At the same time, a plant foreman may power up equipment to meet the day’s production schedule. A truck driver may be on her way to deliver a replacement part that allows a manufacturer to resume production.

These separate work events all share three critical ingredients. The first is someone who performs work or who directs an activity that gets the job done (labor). The second is the use of machinery or equipment that enables the production of goods and services (capital). The last is a flow of energy so that the desired work can be carried out (useful energy as work).

In effect, both labor and capital absolutely require energy in order to function at all. But it is not purely the availability of energy that matters, but how productively we put that energy to work.

In fact, as Figure 1 suggests, since 1950, the U.S. economy has grown by a factor of almost nine. Compared to a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 1950 index of 100, GDP has grown to an index of 888 (rounded almost nine times) in 2022.

Yet greater energy productivity — in effect, getting more work or output from energy supply — met 68% of total U.S. demand for energy services through 2022. Energy services are those functions that enable labor and capital to facilitate or obtain desired end-use services or outcomes. Conventional energy supply, on the other hand, provided only 32% of that demand.

Fig. 1. Author calculations are based on U.S. Energy Information Administration data (completed in February 2024). (Credit: John A. “Skip” Laitner)

 

While the United States has shown significant gains in energy productivity over the years, it remains surprisingly less productive than many other developed nations.

Based on 2021 data, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) suggests that we generate about $210 of GDP (measured in 2015 constant dollars to eliminate the effects of inflation) for every one million Btus of total energy consumed. Yet, the global average is slightly higher with a world energy productivity of $218 per million Btus.

One million British Thermal Units of energy (Btus) is approximately eight gallons of gasoline, or 293 kWh of electricity.

While we outperform national economies like Belgium, Norway, Canada and China, other countries like Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark and the United Kingdom have much higher rates of energy productivity, tracking at $819, $554, $504 and $403 per million Btus, respectively.

In fact, out of the 192 countries for which the EIA tracks such data, the United States appears to be only the 142nd-most energy-productive economy.1

At the same time, there is good news in this story. Investments in solar photovoltaics and wind energy can also provide a stimulus that can increase the number of jobs even as greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced. Before we dig into that possibility, however, let’s first step back and explore current climate damages as a function of jobs and economic damage.

Imagine Climate Change as a Cause of Job Loss and Economic Damage

The Earth energy system is out of balance. This refers to the buildup of excessive heat within the biosphere because of the accumulation of greenhouse gases that prompt human-induced climate change. The accumulated heat in the system over the past 60 years or so is now on the order of 576 times global energy use — warming the land, the atmosphere and especially the oceans.2

With that scale of energy absorbed within the Earth’s ecosystems, it is not hard to imagine that the global heat engine, especially since the 1980s, has been driving a growing number of hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms that create billion-dollar disasters and impact the nation’s infrastructure and communities — as reported by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).3

Fig. 2. Author calculations are based on NCEI data (completed in February 2024). (Credit: John A. “Skip” Laitner)

 

In short, according to Figure 2, the tracking of billion-dollar climate disasters within the United States suggests that the economic burden has grown from roughly $21 billion per year in the decade of the 1980s to an average annual impact of $121 billion over the last five years (2019 through 2023).

If we do nothing to slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and if we then extrapolate that trend through the year 2040, the scale of economic damage might grow to $340 billion in 2040.

The cumulative impact over the 17-year period 2024 through 2040 might be on the order of $4 trillion, with all NCEI values again reported in Consumer Price Index-adjusted 2023 dollars (to eliminate the effects of inflation). Yet, these values reflect only the direct impacts — that is, only the first cost of structural damages, including lost homes, other shattered buildings and smashed vehicles.

In the spirit of a Fermi thought experiment to give us a better sense of scale, we might find jobs effects by multiplying these first dollar impacts by what we call the total employment multipliers that measure the direct, the indirect and the induced effects of a positive dollar change in overall spending or a negative cost in climate damages.

The direct impacts refer to the immediate disruption or the first costs. The indirect effects refer to the disruption in the supply chains that deliver or consume the likely array of goods and services that might be normally provided to households and businesses.

Finally, the induced effects are the lost spending of incomes or wages that might otherwise be made possible by the provision of direct and indirect goods and services.

As shown just under Figure 2, annual climate damages of ~$121 billion, when multiplied by an estimated economy-wide average of 11 total jobs per million dollars in that year, suggests that about 1.3 million jobs per year were impacted in each of the last five years.

And assuming we take little action to slow the growing climate burden, our simple extrapolation to 2040 suggests the various climate damages might be on the order of ~$340 billion in that year.

Accounting for changes in labor productivity, we might perhaps find a smaller economy-wide jobs multiplier in 2040 of about 8.4 total jobs per million dollars. Despite a smaller multiplier, the larger economic damages might create a larger total impact that grows to roughly 2.9 million jobs in that year alone.

My calculations are derived from the current 2022 IMPLAN data set for the United States.4

Imagine Climate-Productive Investments with Real Job Benefits

Rather than worry about the growing economic burden of climate change, might we imagine a set of productive investments that can both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also drive new employment opportunities even as we also increase the nation’s overall energy productivity?

In fact, spending less money on oil and gas can drive economic growth and produce proportionally more jobs in construction and other sectors, as shown by the job-coefficient contrast in Figure 3.

Fig. 3. Author calculations are based on IMPLAN data (completed in February 2024). (Credit: John A. “Skip” Laitner)

 

In short, for every $1 million of avoided oil and gas industry costs, which drives a total of 6.9 jobs, the energy-bill savings spent throughout the economy might drive 11 total jobs. The net gain is 4.1 jobs.

And if we encourage an investment stimulus of $1 million to construct new solar-power and wind-energy systems, together with associated grid-enhancement assets (such as storage), that might drive a total of 12.6 jobs within the U.S. economy. There is a huge opportunity to do so with an investment in our nation’s overall energy productivity.

A MacArthur Fellow, my colleague Saul Griffith, lays out this potential in his 2021 book, “Electrify: An Optimist’s Playbook for our Clean Energy Future.” As he suggests in Figure 6.1 on page 54 of his book, by encouraging a productive investment that electrifies the U.S. economy, we could reduce total energy needs by more than half.

Equally critical, at its peak, Griffith said the “rewiring of America will create more than 25 million new jobs.” While there will be jobs displaced within the conventional energy sector, by the year 2040 there will be “a sustained 5-6 million job increase over what it is today.”5

Other studies suggest similar magnitudes. In another 2021 study undertaken for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), my economist colleague Jeremy Rifkin, the World Resources Institute, Black & Veatch, and I documented the possibility of 15 to 22 million new jobs being created if the nation transitions to a higher level of energy productivity.6

Long story short? Rather than view the transition to a more energy-productive economy as a cost burden, we can retire our old arguments and thinking. Instead, we can imagine the evolution of a more energy-productive economy and increase the job-creation potential even as we reduce our global climate and environmental burdens.

There is an economic imperative and a very real opportunity to do so, if we choose to make it happen.

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/bdz5dw26
2. http://tinyurl.com/3csya2th
3. http://tinyurl.com/2xu4ahsb
4. http://tinyurl.com/4jub2dyx
5. http://tinyurl.com/4kyc6mjp
6. http://tinyurl.com/jmd77z5k

About the Author

John A. “Skip” Laitner is a long-time international resource economist. He is the principal and founder of Economic and Human Dimensions Research Associates, based in Tucson, Arizona. He is a professional member of the American Solar Energy Society.

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Several factors contribute to the increased demand for careers in clean energy. A complex combination of encouraging federal policies, funding support for employers and consumers, increased awareness and interest in energy efficiency, and advances in clean energy technologies create the ideal combination for an immediate need for workforce-development initiatives to help advance career pathways into clean energy.

Imagine a perfect pie crust without filling; that sounds like it is less appealing. Imagine pie filling with no crust; that’s certainly not going to hold up. Imagine a delicious pie with a perfect crust and filling, with your favorite ice cream melting on the dish, but no utensil with which to eat; everything you want but no way to access it.

Building a sustainable workforce pipeline into clean energy that is diverse, is equitable and meets the market demands requires the right partners, tools and aligned collaboration. Absent any of these ingredients, it is like a dessert that no one can eat or wants to eat.

Building a workforce strategy in clean energy is like constructing any recipe; start with the ingredients (data). What do stakeholders need to know? How many employees does the industry need? What does the current labor market look like? And where do employers find the millions more dollars needed to transition to a future of 100% clean energy? What is the first step?

According to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, workforce development strategies are crucial to economic development and should include many elements. Employers and community partners should be included for a more coordinated approach.1 That is a tall order even for the most well-coordinated programs.

Coordinating efforts is one of the essential takeaways from this list. Ensuring that players are aligned in their approaches can prove to be complicated. How can stakeholders implement successful workforce strategies that make a difference?

A successful strategic framework must include the following:

• Understand the Clean Energy Landscape: Determining the trends in clean energy and the potential growth of new technologies will be important to establish a successful strategic workforce framework.
• Assess Workforce Needs: Determining what occupations and skills will be required to fulfill those workforce demands will be key to developing a sustainable pipeline routing workers into growing job opportunities.
• Educate and Train: Knowing where the training providers are in a state will help to provide a streamlined approach for job seekers to gain the skills they need that align with employer demands.
• Build Awareness: The clean energy sector is fragmented across multiple industries. Creating public awareness campaigns, spotlighting career pathways and providing resources to help job seekers begin their journeys is essential.

A multifaceted approach that involves collaboration among various stakeholders will be necessary to develop robust sector strategies for the clean energy workforce. Where do industry stakeholders start to create this sustainable approach in their communities? It’s often not at the beginning. While the oven may be the last tool to finish a delicious recipe, it’s the first thing one preheats before beginning.

Understanding the Landscape: What Do We Need to Pay Attention to?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of solar photovoltaic installers is projected to grow 22% from 2022 to 2032.”2 Keeping tabs on the federal landscape also provides clues that help predict solar-industry growth. The Inflation Reduction Act “will lead to transformative growth for solar and other clean energy industries.”3

According to Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s (IREC) 13th annual Solar Jobs Census, “For the first time, solar companies will have the option to use the Production Tax Credit, and new provisions allow new entities to take advantage, including churches, government entities, educational institutions, tribal nations and other nonprofits.”4

What Might Stand in Our Way?

Will recent changes to net metering in California or a rise in interest rates across the United States impact the projected growth? According to Michelle Davis, head of solar research at Wood Mackenzie, “The [United States] solar industry is on a strong growth trajectory, with expectations of 55% growth (2023) and 10% growth in 2024.”5

Wood Mackenzie noted that over the long term, “interconnection bottlenecks and transmission capacity may impact sustained growth.”6 This is something to keep an eye on. The data and statistics on workforce development are evolving. Knowing which data trends to focus on can be perplexing.

Assessing Workforce Needs: A Mixed Bag of Data

One minute, eggs are good for you, and the next, they aren’t. What do you do with conflicting labor-market data? Labor-market projections can help lay the foundation for your workforce needs. However, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and dig deeper. Developing relationships with employers adds the depth and breadth of information you need to prepare for workforce demands.

With labor projects determined, workforce stakeholders and employers can move on to conducting a gap analysis to determine what may be missing to meet industry needs.

Education and Training

Thanks to employer partners, the occupations are defined, the skills are assessed, the credentials are determined, and the timing of the workforce landscape has been studied; now, let’s get to the rest of our recipe needs.

The levels of experience for occupations can vary from employer to employer. IREC’s data on new hires in 20227 shows stark differences in the amount of training or credentials required across industry occupations.

It’s important to know what is expected to determine where our strategy may fall short. A gap analysis determines what training exists in our communities and what stakeholders and workforce partners may need to develop to fill the gaps. It is a critical next step in our recipe.

Ensuring There Is a Pathway

44% of solar industry employers said it was “very difficult” to find qualified applicants — the highest such percentage ever recorded in the Solar Jobs Census.8 How do employers and workforce stakeholders close this gap? Mapping out which occupations are in immediate demand and the required credentials or skill sets is an excellent place to start to give the job seeker a solid idea of their career path.

IREC’s solar career map9 illustrates the expansive options for career growth in the industry and the pathways to get there.

Are We Using the Freshest Ingredients? The Importance of Quality

So far, this strategy has identified the jobs and the skills required and has identified the training to meet those demands and established career pathways. But what about quality assurance? With a rapidly changing clean energy landscape, it will be vital for job seekers to receive training that is assured to meet industry standards and that prepares them for sustainability in the workforce.

Where do you begin to determine if training providers align with industry demands and provide quality training? Start by exploring who is accredited in the field.

We may be at the part of our recipe where we have an ingredient we aren’t sure we really need. Will it really make a difference to leave out this ingredient, which is sometimes hard to find? While I don’t think our recipe will be a complete failure without an accredited training provider, I definitely don’t think it will be winning any ribbons at the county fair.

Accreditation ensures that trainers are trained for specific job tasks. Conformity assessment tasks may include testing, inspection or certification.10 According to the IREC standard 14732:2014 Job Task Analysis Guidance Document, accreditation ensures training organizations are developing “job task analysis (JTA) from which to form the basis of their curriculum or syllabus,”11 but it’s also how employers know they are getting the freshest ingredients.

The New Face of the Workforce

Today’s workforce is multifaceted; the current generational span includes the Boomer generation (60-78) through Generation Z (7-22).12 With a large population beginning to age out of the industry or job seekers making career switches later in life, there is a learning curve for employers to properly support these changing dynamics and ensure company sustainability and growth.

Building Awareness

When our recipe is complete, workforce stakeholders started with a clean slate; brought in the experts (employers, educators, training professionals and community-based organizations); figured out what was needed to get cooking; used all of our best tools and ingredients; and followed each step through the very end. Now, how does the message get out to job seekers about this wonderful creation?

The clean energy-workforce space is energized (no pun intended), so many people are interested in and supporting the shift to clean energy. Here are a few resources to help you get started and build these integrated connections to organized labor, federal resources, employers, training providers and community-based organizations:

• The National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance:13 a cross-sector effort to improve clean energy education, training and job-placement outcomes — and ensure that expanding clean energy job opportunities are inclusive of diverse candidates and underserved communities
• Green Workforce Connect:14 a new workforce strategy from IREC working to create a central hub of clean energy jobs (https://greenworkforceconnect.org/), a new platform that connects job seekers and contractors to employers
• Apprenticeships in Clean Energy (ACE Network):15 a network that leads a national coalition of industry, training and workforce development leaders to expand and diversify Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in the rapidly evolving clean energy sector
• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE):16 an association that provides educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce and strives to empower educators to deliver high-quality CTE programs that ensure all students are positioned for career success

Regardless of one’s seat at the table, whether as an employer, contractor, training provider or workforce stakeholder, communication is key to advancing the solar industry.

Employers are crucial, but quality education and training should be non-negotiable. Sustainability is linked to resources and career pathways. The plan isn’t just to get people jobs; the goal is to get people long-term careers that impact our growth opportunities. Let’s get cooking!

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/aaz38ntb
2. http://tinyurl.com/56w8jyss
3. http://tinyurl.com/yc87a7dw
4. http://tinyurl.com/4tjccunz
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. http://tinyurl.com/yc87a7dw
8. Ibid.
9. http://tinyurl.com/mrxnzd62
10. http://tinyurl.com/35mys28c
11. http://tinyurl.com/set9zyp7
12. http://tinyurl.com/ev8c627b/
13. http://tinyurl.com/ywj5de3f
14. Ibid.
15. http://tinyurl.com/y9d3zhsc
16. http://tinyurl.com/3szcejte

About the Author

Cynthia Finley is the vice president of workforce and strategic innovation at IREC (Interstate Renewable Energy Council), where she leads the team in developing strategic initiatives to expand workforce development in the clean energy industry. She is committed to creating equitable career opportunities for underrepresented populations. She holds a doctoral degree in higher education.

Become an ASES member, unlock exclusive web content, and have a quarterly print issue of Solar Today mailed to you.

Last fall, Solar Today readers learned about rising opposition to large-scale renewable energy development in communities nationwide. Author Joel Stronberg mentioned groups like the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions and Citizens for Clear Skies, whose names belie campaigns that promote misinformation and dismiss urgent clean energy goals.1

Stronberg cited a 2023 study from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law that cataloged nearly 300 renewable energy projects across 45 states that experienced serious organized opposition between March of 2022 and May of 2023 — a 40% increase in such projects compared to the year before.2

New research confirms the causes of this rising crisis. A survey of solar and wind developers released by Berkeley Lab in January 2024 found that permitting challenges and community opposition closely followed grid-interconnection constraints as the top three reasons for large-scale solar-project cancellations.3 Problems with financing, supply chains and power sales pale by comparison.

The threat that a vocal minority of citizens can pose to solar project approvals and ultimately to U.S. climate goals is real. But efforts to improve permitting processes and to see solar opposition in perspective are also gaining strength, thanks largely to formerly silent citizens who are standing up for solar.

Fig. 1. Developers of large-scale solar and wind identify community opposition as a top reason for project cancellations. Over the past five years, about one-third of large-scale solar projects have been canceled and about half have experienced delays of six months or more. (Credit: Berkeley Lab, 2024)

 

Joanne Scanlon, executive director of the New York–based United Solar Energy Supporters (USES), is one of those formerly silent citizens. Scanlon retired from a career in healthcare and looked forward to spending time with her family before she realized that concern for her grandkids’ future would require her to become a clean energy activist.

She watched opposition building against a proposed 180-MW solar development nearby called the Horseshoe Solar project. She started a Facebook page and then a Nextdoor networking group to offer a different, pro-solar perspective. She started to speak up at public meetings, collaborated with a Sierra Club group, and eventually “plugged into” USES.4

The Horseshoe project was delayed by about five years, but it was finally approved to break ground this year.5

Along the way, Scanlon said, “I learned to ignore personal attacks.” She said it’s important that debate and negotiations take place. That requires bringing well-researched facts to the table.

In this case, landowners’ rights were at stake, but so were the rights and concerns of indigenous people who have long called the region their home. A state review board recommended that a portion of the Horseshoe site be withdrawn from the development plan to protect Native American cultural sites. The developer complied.

On this project and at least a half-dozen more, USES has worked through the permitting process to bring lasting economic and environmental benefits to communities by “harvesting the sun,” according to Scanlon.

She said that USES accepts donations from developers, but that the group’s efforts are not contingent on developers’ support. Pro-solar campaigns do better when relying on volunteers who are known in their communities but not directly associated with the landowners, solar developers or utilities. USES board members and advisors assist frontline volunteers, preparing a trove of informative webinars, referrals and FAQ answers.

That backup crew includes an engineer; a behavioral scientist; a code officer; an energy business consultant and Richard Perez, a solar technology and policy innovator who served multiple terms as a board member of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES).

Perez leads solar research at the State University of New York in Albany. He has been working with his son, Marc Perez, a group manager at Clean Power Research, on ways to meet grid requirements with less battery storage.

The plan hinges on overbuilding and strategically dispatching PV.6 Perez said technical solutions and planning tools for a massive, yet careful PV buildout are at hand. “But the greater challenge today lies in public education,” he said, adding that an educated response to solar disinformation is urgently needed.

In contrast to most local pro-solar groups, those that oppose solar developments are well organized and nationally networked and supported.

At the 2023 ASES national solar conference, I shared my firm’s research on public engagement in a rising controversy around a proposed 100-MW solar-plus-storage project near Santa Fe, New Mexico.7

Using a variety of analytic tools, we reviewed comments that were submitted to county permitting officials during early phases of what turned into a costly and ongoing permitting process. One simple and glaring finding was that just 13% of comments submitted during the first six months favored the project.

Those who opposed the project had quickly organized a mailing list, circulated instructions for writing public comments and op-eds, reached out to newspapers and radio, and launched a website.

Initially, the site was built directly on the website of a solar opposition group in Kansas. Later, the Santa Fe, New Mexico opposition group launched its own website under the name New Mexicans for Responsible Renewable Energy.8

The name echoed that of a national opposition group, Citizens for Responsible Energy, which has been the subject of investigative reporting by National Public Radio (NPR) and others due to its ties to oil and gas interests.9 According to NPR, Citizens for Responsible Energy has ties to similar opposition groups in at least a dozen states.

It would be fair to accept the critique that people of one opinion are simply organizing to counter people of another opinion and that is how democracy works. Yet it is hard to disentangle the subtle disinformation and fears that solar opposition groups have raised.

When you hear “solar,” you think “great,” but there is a dark side. There’s more to the story.  Learn how solar contributes to climate change, produces toxic waste, as well as the real economic drivers of the industry.  — Citizens for Responsible Solar Website (2024)

One vexing finding from our analysis of comments on the proposed project near Santa Fe, New Mexico was that 52% of those opposed to the project identified themselves as “pro-solar.” According to their websites and comments, project opponents support solar, but only on industrial-zoned land, on brownfields, along highways and on rooftops.

They use specific language to describe how they oppose misplaced “industrial solar” from “corporate solar developers” who make big profits selling to utilities that often intend to “send it” from their backyards to markets far away. Opposition outreach materials often blame “big tech” green tag buyers and server farms for driving solar demand on power markets. This promotes a distorted picture of the nation’s overall clean energy transition.

The potential risks of large-scale solar to wildlife, agriculture and soil health are highlighted in opposition outreach, too, without reference to the perils that wildlife, agriculture and soils already face from climate change and alternative land developments.

In the hands of opposition leaders, the advantages of solar generation — in terms of displacing coal-fired electricity, increasing grid reliability, supporting tax-funded services, leveraging incentives, providing stable income for landowners and jump-starting a solar workforce that also would serve distributed solar — are often cast as unnecessary or uncertain promises.

Despite rapid progress across every aspect of the solar and storage industry, the careful scientists and policymakers that have led our field too often find that fear builds much faster than trust.

For example, the willingness of storage battery partners to share lessons learned about fire safety has become a figurative flashpoint wherever battery storage is part of the plan. The public often misses the fine print about new battery designs, fire prevention standards and emergency response protocols while being drawn to the jaw-dropping visuals from an earlier generation of battery fires.

Social science research has begun to catalog the sources of opposition to large-scale solar and to suggest and test more representative and evidence-based permitting processes. Gilbert Michaud, assistant professor at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago and chair of the ASES Policy Division, has been involved in some of that work.

For one recent study, Michaud collected data on proposed projects across six states and oversaw 45 interviews with stakeholders. The study shed light on who was communicating with whom, as well as when and how they were communicating during early development and permitting processes.10

He identified problems and likely ways to fix the system. For example, different media, including social media, should be used to attract a more representative cross-section of participants to both in-person and online meetings.

Outreach and education should begin early. Publicly funded liaison offices in each state could help facilitate local processes. Michaud said he also recommends having technical experts present at all public meetings.

A few of Michaud’s recommendations aligned with process improvements and public education that are already being tested.

For example, Minnesota’s Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) program was already taking this approach. CERTs is a collaboration involving the Minnesota Department of Commerce (the state energy office), the Southwest Regional Development Commission (a representative statewide agency), the nonprofit Great Plains Institute and the University of Minnesota Extension.

CERTs’ mission is to provide education and tools to local communities to support making a rapid and just transition to clean energy. According to Melissa Birch, a CERTs co-director, the program supports large-scale siting processes in three major ways: It provides tools and web-based information tailored to different stakeholders’ needs; it sponsors events, from Farmers Union forums on solar leasing pros and cons to workshops for local government; and it works directly in communities, providing customized research and facilitation.

Predating Michaud’s recommendation, the CERTs team has run local liaison offices throughout the state.

CERTs is focused on building trust, because trust from all parties is key to short- and long-term success. According to Birch, trusted partnerships differ from one rural community to another, but one consistent partner is the cooperative extension service.

“It has been there for over a century and it earned its place as a reliable source of information,” Birch said. “We like to say we are doing clean energy with people, not to people.”

Another resource that CERTs plans to use more is an “energy ambassadors” program. CERTs recognized the trust factor in neighbor-to-neighbor communications, so a year ago, it recruited local energy ambassadors to spread the word about the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Where siting controversies are brewing, these ambassadors — largely volunteers and often retired professionals — can bring unbiased information about energy technology and the permitting process. They also may act as a conduit if more specialized help is needed. According to Birch, CERTs has more than 800 energy ambassadors signed up.

Getting down to the details of large-scale solar planning is still a challenge, Birch said. In Minnesota, local planning boards generally have authority to rule on conditional-use permits for solar projects under 50 MW.

But the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission now has permitting authority for projects 50 MW and over. Minnesota recently updated its siting guidelines, adding considerations to protect the local environment and culture, but also limiting some demands on developers.

State authority over large-scale solar siting is becoming popular in states that have clean energy and decarbonization goals. State-run processes may address local planning boards’ lack of expertise and time. In some cases, they can resolve issues in the face of conflicting interests.11 As of early 2024, 13 states have exerted some degree of authority over solar permitting.

The response from stakeholders and developers to statewide permitting authorities has been mixed. Some planning boards and local participants resent the takeover of local authority. Developers find that siting criteria increase and permitting costs rise when state authorities get involved, but the faster approvals are welcomed. It is too soon to tell if local tensions and threats of legal action will abate.

In preparing this article, I talked to Dahvi Wilson, who leads a consultancy called Siting Clean.12 Wilson draws on direct experience leading community outreach for a developer, Apex Clean Energy. She shares best practices, while warning that outcomes for any one project remain unpredictable.

For instance, diverse and representative participation is central to democratic processes, but sometimes more vocal solar supporters bring out more intense opponents, and the result is gridlock. A strategy that involves negotiating a benefits agreement for extra monetary compensation or nonmonetary accommodations may help.13

Wilson said she supports using professional facilitators. She also said she favors education and technical assistance for local decision-makers. We agreed that anyone with experience across the solar field or educational background in energy systems could assist. That assistance might be a formal engagement or work behind the scenes or simply sharing personal stories about projects that have worked.

Wilson said, “When you get past all the noise, what you hear is a community asking, ‘What do we really want for our future?’”

Sources

1. https://ases.org/nimby/
2. http://tinyurl.com/3brx8ru9
3. http://tinyurl.com/5brd6b4b
4. http://tinyurl.com/5n8e4jdr
5. http://tinyurl.com/2s3dfxtp
6. http://tinyurl.com/2s58hcv3
7. http://tinyurl.com/45sm9p5n
8. http://tinyurl.com/bdepyamz
9. http://tinyurl.com/2jxmzwzf
10. http://tinyurl.com/mr38ph4k
11. http://tinyurl.com/ysv2hyem
12. http://tinyurl.com/4d8zx4dh
13. http://tinyurl.com/3wuxcppz

About the Author

ASES Fellow Jill K. Cliburn has stood up for solar plus storage in her own community. Her website, the Solar Value Project, features work on integrated energy strategies and market analysis for a prompt and equitable energy transition.

Become an ASES member, unlock exclusive web content, and have a quarterly print issue of Solar Today mailed to you.

There are a lot of great solar installers in the industry who provide reliable products to build affordable arrays with quality and skill. However, from time to time, we hear reports of the ‘other guys’ – the companies that are in it to make a quick buck and move on to the next sale.

Warranty service or Operations & Maintenance? These may be lacking or nonexistent.

Solar arrays that miss the energy production estimates by a significant margin? These can leave well-intentioned array owners with a bad experience.

While this is not the norm, we want to caution would-be solar-array owners and provide pathways to prevent poor customer satisfaction.

Some recent anecdotes about poorly installed solar that we are personally aware of include the following:

1) A woman purchased a home with a preexisting leased solar array that was installed on an older roof. The original installer should have advised the prior homeowner to get a new roof before installing an array that would undoubtedly require removal and reinstallation before the end of the 25-year PV module warranty period.

That installer went out of business, but a new company bought the lease and now wanted to charge the woman a lot of money to remove the array for the roofers to do their work and then reinstall the system. They quoted her a price for the work equal to buying a brand-new solar array.

Since the lease company owned the array, they wouldn’t let another installer do the work at a lower cost. The homeowner was also offered a buyout of her remaining lease at a price much higher than the current value of her PV system.

2) A company installed solar panels on any available roof space instead of focusing on unshaded roof space that would have a good power-production factor.

3) A commercial solar array was mounted horizontally (instead of at an angle) on a flat roof in Florida where rainwater was allowed to pool on the modules and seep behind the front-side glass, causing rippling of the ethylene vinyl acetate encapsulant film and allowing algae to grow between the glass and the silicon cells.

Further, the inverters were mounted outside, which resulted in the ventilation fans pulling in corrosive, salty sea air into the sensitive internal electronics. This system stopped working and the customers did not have a good solar experience.

4) A commercial array in Colorado had a building owner who had a third-party power purchase agreement and was billed regularly for the supposed solar production despite the system not producing.

The installer had not worked to repair the offline inverters for more than a year, but was providing a fraudulent bill to the building owner, who was double-paying for electricity.

5) A large, extremely reputable national solar company worked with a company that was providing it sales leads in the Houston area. After the large company had installed a system based on one of these leads, the customer didn’t understand why her bill was not zero.

She had been promised by the salesperson that her solar array would cover her entire electric bill. She didn’t have a clear understanding of the contract and certainly didn’t understand the credit that would be paid to her.

When the solar company heard about all the promises that had been made on their behalf, they went back and repaid her the entire amount of the system, which was fortunate for her in this case, but there are plenty of examples of these poor practices happening across Texas.

While several of these anecdotes relate to leased arrays, this is not to say that all leased arrays should be avoided. In many larger commercial arrays, any system larger than what is allowed for net metering (typically larger than 25 kW) is frequently owned by a solar company that operates and maintains the system and sells the power produced to the building owner at a rate less than the utility retail rate.

Residential lease arrays might be an attractive option for homeowners who don’t want to buy or finance their own systems. The primary considerations for leased arrays are 1) to be cognizant that the lease is an encumbrance should the homeowner wish to sell their home before the end of the lease period and 2) to seek transparency about the energy produced and system health/performance.

What are the costs to buy out the lease early? Are there penalties to an installer if the system underperforms? What are the costs and logistics if the array needs to be removed for roof repairs? These factors might cause a prospective solar array owner to revisit a home equity loan or even forego a solar array until a later date.

Inspired by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, lots of folks are interested in installing solar all over the country. Along with reputable solar companies, there are plenty of solar scams and misleading solar advertisements out there, particularly on social media. Here are several pathways a prospective solar-array owner can follow to protect their interests and ensure the best possible option based on their particular needs.

1) You should beware of ads and salespeople claiming free systems or a time-limited program that you need to sign up for immediately.

2) Some companies are counting on you not doing your research and selling expensive systems or systems without warranties. Do you really need an array this large? Is a battery/energy storage system actually needed if the local utility doesn’t have time-of-use rate structures?

Time-of-use rates are used when an electric utility charges a higher per-kWh rate at times each week when energy demand is high and lower rates when demand is low.

A battery energy storage system can help the array owner draw excess power from the battery rather than from the grid during high-usage-rate periods. The system can also push excess power back onto the grid during high-usage-rate periods and use nighttime power from the grid to recharge the battery when usage rates are low.

2) Solar United Neighbors (SUN) has a National Solar Help Desk (https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/helpdesk), which provides free support for people looking to go solar. SUN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that can help you find local installers and can review solar proposals and contracts free of charge. We and SUN always recommend getting three solar proposals and making sure to check the warranties on the systems to make sure that the installer and manufacturers have a long-term plan to help you if your system isn’t working.

3) In general, we recommend using the monitoring app that comes with your solar systems to track performance. We also advise having a solar professional take a look at your system in person every five years.

4) When it comes to choosing an installer, make sure to read every online review that you can find and call or meet multiple local references from the solar installer. A lack of local references and lack of online reviews is generally a red flag when it comes to solar companies. Scrutinize these online reviews to confirm their legitimacy.

5) Talk with your neighbors who have solar arrays.

6) Lastly, join your local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org) to network with system owners who can provide advice and share their knowledge.

Best of luck in finding the right solar array for your needs. We love our systems and want the same for you.

About the Authors

Roger Horowitz is the director of Go Solar Programs at Solar United Neighbors, where he combines his passion for community organizing with his love of solar energy. He loves supporting families as they go solar and is especially interested in equitable financing.

Patrice “Pete” Parsons is a seasoned strategist with more than two decades of experience. She is the executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society, where she creates programs to educate and inspire every Texan to adopt solar energy as part of an equitable 100%-clean energy future. She is a member of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES).

Rich Strömberg is the vice chair of the ASES Photovoltaics Division. He is a doctoral student focusing on the reuse of solar photovoltaic systems for social and ecological benefit. He is a co-founder and the director of Equitable Solar Solutions.

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Against the backdrop of the vast Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where the winds whisper stories of resilience and the land echoes the trials and triumphs of a community, a beacon of hope emerges in the form of the Red Cloud Renewable energy center.

Nestled within this expansive landscape, this center stands not merely as a collection of solar panels and structures, but as a testament to the unwavering determination of the Oglala Lakota people toward self-sufficiency and progress.

In the shadow of historical challenges, the presence of Red Cloud Renewable on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation marks a pivotal chapter — an assurance that energy independence is not just a dream but an imminent reality.

Through innovation, empowerment and a deep reverence for heritage, this center is spearheading a transformative journey towards a future where renewable energy powers not only homes but also the resurgence of hope and pride within the community.

For generations, the Oglala Lakota people have navigated a complex history marked by struggles for self-governance and the preservation of their rich heritage.

In the midst of socioeconomic hardships — where unemployment rates soar and access to basic necessities remains a challenge — this community has fiercely safeguarded its cultural identity.

However, amidst these trials, one formidable challenge looms large: the unyielding grip of energy dependency.

With utility costs burdening households already grappling with economic constraints, the quest for energy independence emerges as an indispensable aspiration.

Beyond mere access to power, it represents a beacon of self-reliance — a pivotal stride toward liberating the community from enduring cycles of hardship and a testament to their unwavering determination to shape their own destiny.

At the heart of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation’s transformative journey towards energy sovereignty stands the visionary figure of Henry Red Cloud.

In 2002, fueled by a passion for change and a dedication to his community, Red Cloud embarked on a pioneering endeavor. By crafting and distributing solar furnaces, he not only provided immediate relief from the pressing utility costs but kindled a spark of hope for a sustainable future.

This act of empowerment laid the groundwork for what would later flourish into the Red Cloud Renewable energy center. Established in 2008, this center became a beacon of change, offering crucial solar education classes.

These classes, more than mere lessons on photovoltaics and renewable energy, serve as the cornerstone of progress for Native Americans. They don’t just impart technical knowledge; they embody a promise of opportunity, a pathway toward a future where renewable energy isn’t just a concept but a tangible resource within the grasp of the community.

Marie Kills Warrior, an Oglala Lakota native who is a senior project support at Renewable Energy Partners, Inc., stands as a shining example of hope and progress for the future of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Her remarkable journey in the world of solar energy mirrors the radiant progress that is illuminating opportunities for the community.

I asked her what it was like growing up on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She said, “Well, like most rez kids at that time, we played and ran around in the creeks out at North Route where we lived and in Kyle. Swam and fished at Kyle Dam, Yellow Bear and the river. Played basketball at the courts and on Sesame Street.

“We spent a lot of time outside during the spring, summer and fall months. My cousins would take us to pick buffalo berries, chokecherries and plums. They would also take us out to timpsila [wild turnip] hunting behind the hills by our house. You can say we made the best out of what we had.”

Her solar odyssey began in 2017 during an Earth Day event, where the potential of solar energy ignited a spark within her. This initial curiosity transformed into a passionate pursuit of knowledge, leading her to Denver, Colorado, to join the Grid Alternatives SolarCorps program.

Her journey is not just about personal growth; it’s about lighting the way for others. She actively participated in the Tribal Train The Trainer (T4) program, preparing to teach and share the power of PV 101 with others.

“I want to give back the same opportunity that was presented to me to other individuals in their homelands,” she told me.

Her dedication to education and her vision for a future where Indigenous communities have greater access to renewables radiate hope. Her aspirations extend beyond her own backyard, envisioning a South Dakota that embraces renewable energy as a net metering state or as part of a coalition that changes the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act rates.

Her mission is clear: to empower her community and others to harness the limitless potential of solar energy. Through her unwavering dedication, the future shines brighter on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where solar jobs are indeed illuminating opportunities and inspiring a sustainable path forward.

In the heart of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where resilience has been tested by enduring challenges, a compelling narrative of hope, innovation and empowerment unfolds.

Marie Kills Warrior’s journey, intertwined with the Red Cloud Renewable energy center and the burgeoning solar job opportunities on the reservation, epitomizes the essence of this transformative path.

She embodies the hope and promise of Pine Ridge, while Henry Red Cloud stands as the bedrock upon which this visionary future is built.

The radiant progress propelled by the Red Cloud Renewable energy center and the visionary leadership of figures like Marie Kills Warrior and Henry Red Cloud serves as a beacon of hope.

This narrative not only signifies their unwavering spirit in the quest for energy independence but also emphasizes that renewable energy is a catalyst for positive change, illuminating opportunities and forging a sustainable path forward. In Pine Ridge Indian Reservation’s heart, the future gleams with solar-powered promise, guided by the determination of its people.

Note: The American Solar Energy Society has been grant-writing to augment the fantastic work of Red Cloud Renewable in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, which is training Native American solar professionals and deploying solar to tribal people.

About the Author

Alicia Kelton is the head of the Communications Department at Red Cloud Renewable, collaborating closely with Henry Red Cloud. Her role has been immersed in championing the cause of solar energy. She received an associate’s degree in psychology from Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana.

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In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.1

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology.2 Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Residential Energy Storage: An Increasingly Attractive Proposition

The growing frequency of public-safety power shut-offs, exacerbated by severe weather events and grid constraints, has heightened homeowners’ awareness of the vulnerabilities associated with sole reliance on the utility network.3

Concurrently, regressive changes to net metering policies in California have diminished financial incentives for solar energy fed back into the grid. These factors are reshaping the economics of solar power, reinforcing the case for energy storage systems. With utilities offering reduced returns for surplus solar power, storing excess energy allows homeowners to fully capitalize on their solar production financially.4

The Storage Industry Must Address Consumer Requirements

Innovation within the solar industry has yielded compelling solutions that provide homeowners with greater flexibility of and control over their energy usage.

Canadian Solar, where I work, addresses consumer needs with its EP Cube and EP Cube Lite residential battery storage systems. These systems are scalable for indoor or outdoor installation, are user-friendly, and prioritize safety and sustainability.5

These solutions include technologies from enhanced battery chemistry to intelligent power management, interoperability with existing systems, whole-home backup and grid-tied options.

Technological advancements, coupled with government incentives, empower homeowners to maximize the financial benefits of solar energy without incurring substantial costs. Solutions offering seamless integration, advanced intelligence and heightened grid resilience are now accessible to the average homeowner.

The Challenge: Educating the Customer

However, despite steady growth in the residential solar sector, there remains a significant gap in consumer awareness, particularly around solar + storage solutions.

It’s important for homeowners to understand the benefits and long-term prospects of residential energy storage systems.

As homeowners look to industry experts for advice on the best products for their needs, the responsibility of educating them falls primarily on distributors and installers who interact directly with customers. They must become industry experts and trusted advisors.

Sharing the Benefits of Home Energy Storage

Topics to emphasize when explaining the benefits of residential storage options to homeowners include understanding available options, cost-effectiveness, space, aesthetics, expandability, safety and performance.

Here are some key points for solar pros to consider when explaining these advantages:

• Understanding the options available: Homeowners can choose between full home vs. partial home backup vs. off-grid solutions.
• Cost: With modular residential energy storage, homeowners can add incremental battery modules to accommodate more loads and maximize capacity.
• Space and aesthetics: Today’s energy storage units are sleek and compact and can be installed indoors or outdoors.
• Expandability: Economical self-consumption systems can be installed now and later expanded to include more capacity or backup power.
• Safety: The most prominent global energy providers develop solutions with safety as the top priority.
• Performance: Manufacturers ensure that the systems offer overall performance, chemical stability, increased capacity and longer service life.

Safety and Battery Chemistry

Residential battery types and their chemistries have been key discussion points due to their direct impact on homeowners.

Recent incidents in the United States where residential batteries caught fire have raised consumer concerns about battery chemistry.

Presently, residential battery storage systems primarily utilize Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), lithium-ion (LION) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries. NMC batteries are a subcategory of LION batteries.

It is important to understand some key differences in battery chemistry. The most significant difference between NMC and LFP is that NMC has a higher likelihood of thermal runaway when compared to LFP.6 Also, NMC technology is more susceptible to catastrophic failure like catching fire. LFP battery chemistry is considered the safer option for residential battery storage systems.7

LFP is a more stable battery chemistry than NMC.8 LFP batteries offer a superior balance of energy density and efficiency, optimized for residential use. Their greater depth of discharge promotes a longer battery lifespan and stable operation.

Compared to NMC batteries, LFP batteries boast a longer lifespan and superior safety due to their stable lithium chemistry, even at higher temperatures.

Environmentally, LFP batteries outperform NMCs, as they contain less toxic materials, minimizing their environmental impact.

Additionally, LFP batteries offer a higher number of warranty cycles and can handle a wider range of temperatures, making them safer for residential applications.

Compared to other LION batteries, LFP is considered safer because of its capability to handle a wider range of temperatures. The operating temperature range for typical LION batteries is 32°F to 113°F, while the operating temperature range for LFP batteries is -4°F to 140°F. On average, LION batteries have a higher probability of catching fire at higher temperatures.

Despite the other LION chemistries having a higher energy density than LFP, it is better to use LFP batteries because of their safety.

Canadian Solar’s EP Cube system utilizes LFP battery chemistry, ensuring minimal risk of thermal runaway and enhancing overall safety.

With homeowners seeking to save money and reduce dependence on utilities, the future of the residential solar market is set for major growth. Continued consumer education is vital to drive market expansion globally in the coming years.

With further consumer education, we should see vast market growth on a global scale in the years ahead. The dawn of a new era in the solar industry is upon us, and it’s brighter than ever.

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/yc46jb6z
2. http://tinyurl.com/5h36j85x
3. http://tinyurl.com/mum3tn9d
4. http://tinyurl.com/3xnm38ad
5. http://tinyurl.com/5c3cymj9
6. http://tinyurl.com/5n82rzt2
7. http://tinyurl.com/5n8ncxnb
8. http://tinyurl.com/axnasv93

About the Author

George Kuo works at Canadian Solar Inc. as senior director of product & solutions, product management. He has a master’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Irvine and an executive master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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On April 8, 2024, North America will witness a rare event – a complete solar eclipse. As we celebrate the sun that nurtures our homes, crops, and spirit, let’s also take a step towards accelerating solar adoption for all.

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