Green Tech Jobs – Solar Panel Installations Set Record
Posted May 15th, 2013
Solar power has grabbed the spotlight. With lower pricing, attractive financing options and government incentives, 2012 was a record-breaking year for solar panel installations. A grand total of 3.3GW of panels – more than the three previous years combined – were installed last year, a whopping 76% increase over 2011. And the outlook for 2013 appears even brighter, with experts predicting an estimated 4.3 GW of solar panels to be installed; a projected 29% increase over 2012.
Corporate Customers
In early May, telecom giant Verizon announced plans to spend $100 million on new clean power projects. This funding includes large installations of solar panels and fuel cells, designed to power buildings and network infrastructure at 19 of its locations. With this move, Verizon joins Apple – who is building its own solar farms to power its Maiden, NC, data center; and AT&T, who has already been powering operations in California and Connecticut using fuel cell farms.
Technological Advances
Beyond 2013, the bright spot in the solar story may be nano-wires. These extremely tiny filaments (1,000 times smaller than a human hair) are able to capture up to 12 times more light to produce energy, yet the panels will use 10,000 times less material. According to Physics.org, “Translating this into dollars for gallium arsenide (the material used for the solar cells), the cost would only be $10 per square meter instead of $100,000.” The nano-wires are turned into an ink, which is layered onto a basic solar panel. The nano-wire ink will be piloted in 2015, and is set to debut commercially in 2016.
Solar still has a long way to go if it wants to take center stage, however. While its 3.3GW of installations in 2012 set a record, wind power saw 13GW of new installations over the same time period. Overall, though, clean energy is surging, with power generated from wind, solar, biomass and hydro-power increasing from 6.4% to 9.4% nationwide in 2012. At the same time, fossil-based fuels amounted to less of the energy mix, with coal’s share down 4.4% (22.5% to 18.2%), and oil’s declining 2.6% (39.3% to 36.7%).
Increased reliance on clean energy means increased jobs in the green tech industry. Whether you’re looking for work, or looking for qualified green tech professionals, Bayside Solutions can help. We’re one of the Bay Area’s most experienced specialized staffing firms, with a proven track record of placement success in the green technology industry. We invite you to browse our database of open positions, or contact us today to learn more.
