Future Students
Employment Opportunities
The Booming Photovoltaic Industry
The PV manufacturing industry is booming! The graph below shows its explosive nature. This soaring growth is predicted to continue in the coming decade, particularly in Asia. Governments around much of the world have schemes to install solar cells on the roofs of millions more buildings in coming years.
Evolution of annual cell/module production. (Sources: Renewable Energy World and Photon International)
In response to the booming PV market, many manufacturers globally are rapidly increasing their production capacity. The March 2009 issue of the industry magazine, Photon International, reported that global photovoltaics production grew 85% during 2008. Growth rates in mainland China and Japan that year were 116% and 99% respectively. Australian production growth, while lower than in those regions, was still impressive at 13%. Growth rates in Europe and Japan that year were 44% and 48% respectively. The fiscal stimulus packages of the USA and Korea, for example, are driving dramatic expansions of photovoltaics in those countries.
The explosive demand for photovoltaics has caused a dramatic drop in the cost of PV, and this in turn promotes additional growth. A major 2009 report from industry consultants, Photon Consulting, The True Cost of Solar Power. Race to $1/W, showed that solar electricity is rapidly becoming directly competitive with retail electricity from fossil fuel:
“At the sector level, our most important take-away from three years of cost benchmarking research is that the “true cost “of solar power is remarkably low even now. Today, the average cost of a c-Si module is well below $2/W, with the fully-loaded cost of a system below $4/W. This equates to a levelized electricity cost, without incentives, of less than $0.20/kWh in sunnier environments. Best practice is already far below this level, and the emergence in the next three years of cost structures of $1/W at the module plus $1/W at the BOS levels will enable the levelized cost of solar electricity below $0.10/kWh."
The True Cost of Solar Power. Race to $1/W, 2009
http://www.photonconsulting.com/the_true_cost_of_solar_power_race_to_1w.php
Job Creation and Educational Requirements
"The rapidly expanding photovoltaic industry creates the need for photovoltaic engineers. The European Photovoltaic Energy Barometer tells us that “the opening of a new production facility leads to the creation of an average of 20 jobs per MWp capacity, to which approximately 30 jobs per MWp capacity have to be added for people who are working for suppliers, retailers and installation and maintenance services. The European photovoltaic sector alone represents nearly 15 000 jobs and has a turnover in the region of one billion euros.”
"Job prospects in the photovoltaic sector are very good. According to the EPIA, the number of employees could reach 59 000 people if European objectives are reached." Photovoltaic Energy Barometer
International Job Growth - What Do the Experts Say?
Several reports have highlighted the jobs growth and potential as photovoltaics and other renewable energy forms grow in importance. Here are a few references:
Henry, D. and S. Burrow (2008). Green Gold Rush, Australian Conservation Foundation and Australian Council of Trade Unions: 36.
www.actu.asn.au/Images/Dynamic/attachments/6211/Green_Gold%20_Rush_final.pdf
Access Economics Pty. Ltd. (2009). The net employment impacts of climate change policies. Clean Energy Council, Melbourne,
http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/documents/R090603%20CEC_Employment%20Impacts_Final.pdf
Renner, M., S. Sweeney, et al. (2008). Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World. Washington, United Nations Environment Program and International Labour Organization.
www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Publications/Newreleases/lang--en/docName--WCMS_098503/index.htm
Lehr, U., J. Nitsch, et al. (2008). "Renewable energy and employment in Germany." Energy Policy 36(1): 108-117.
Burgermeister, J. (2008). Renewable Energy Jobs Soar in Germany. Berlin, Renewable Energy World.
www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52089
Blue Green Alliance, Clean energy economy report 2009,
http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/admin/publications/files/0012.4.pdf
Urahn, S. and J. Reichert (2009). The Clean Energy. Repowering jobs, businesses and investment across America. Washington D.C., Pew Charitable Trusts.
www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Clean_Economy_Report_Web.pdf
Roland-Holst, D. (2008). Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation in California. San Francisco, Center for Energy, Resources, and Economic Sustainability.
http://are.berkeley.edu/~dwrh/CERES_Web/Docs/UCB%20Energy%20Innovation%20and%20Job%20Creation%2010-20-08.pdf
Rutovitz, J. and A. Atherton (2009). ENERGY SECTOR JOBS TO 2030: A GLOBAL ANALYSIS. Final Report. Sydney, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS.
http://www.isf.uts.edu.au/publications/rutovitzatherton2009greenjobs.pdf