One part of being a solar installer that is particularly rewarding is being able to create jobs. As our country continues to claw its way out of the economic downturn, it’s great to be able to offer hard working people a job in a growing industry. When the financial crisis started, the solar industry was starting to pick up the pace, and by 2010 there were an estimated 93,000 solar workers. Now the most recent job census released in 2012 by the Solar Foundation alongside Green LMI and Cornell University shows that the solar industry employs over 119,000 workers. This was an increase of 13.2 percent from 2012, while the overall U.S. economy grew at a rate of only 2.3 percent.
DCSEU_PhotoAs this industry wide growth surge continues to happen daily, The District of Columbia has really created a favorable market for solar. The current Renewable Portfolio Standard in DC aims to be 20% powered by renewables by 2020. This target has created a thriving market for SRECs that help pay for the environmental benefits of technologies like solar. Due to these progressive policies DC is ranked 4th when it comes to solar jobs per capita in the U.S. with over 720 solar jobs.
Working in the DC solar market you will find a lot of people passionate about “greening up” the city and making it more sustainable. Over the years we have worked with many of these people and the organizations they are a part of. Our most recent endeavor has been through The District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU). The DC SEU’s mission is to help District residents, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Last year we participated in the first DC SEU Solar Initiative for Wards 7&8, and this year we are at it again for residents of Ward 5.
We have partnered with Darrell Green’s company, Trusted Solutions Group (TSG) to provide local labor for the DC SEU Ward 5 Solar initiative. TSG is a great partner of ours with the mission of offering cost effective solutions to their customers and strategic partners while creating career opportunities to their valued employees. Last year, partnering with DC SEU, TSG and three other solar contractors the program was able to create 127,000 solar job hours. Solar was installed on 87 homes at NO COST to the homeowner!Commercial Solar Installers in DC
After the program was complete last year we continued to partner with TSG to create local labor for our solar installations including the array built for Tenley Town Trash (you can see more about this project on our Solar Businesses Page). This year we will train more solar workers in in the District and build (8) more solar arrays before September 21st, 2013. These homeowners will save between 30-50% on their electric bills, which makes a big difference no matter who you are.
At Prospect Solar we are truly honored to be a part of a program that has such a positive impact on the community. The jobs and skill sets created through this program and solar installs in general will continue to pay dividends as time goes on. Thanks to everyone involved, we look forward to working with you in the future. As Henry Ford put it “if everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”