The rapid growth of the solar industry has been providing major job growth for the United States. In the most recent Solar Foundation report, the organization noted that one out of every 78 new jobs in the U.S. was in the solar industry, with 21.8 percent growth in solar itself in 2014 and another 36,000 new jobs expected for 2015.
More impressive, however, is how quickly the industry is gaining on oil & gas, and how it has already surpassed the coal industry.
According to the report, solar employment reached a total of 173,807 workers in November 2014, while oil & gas employed a total of 201,000 workers. Coal employed a mere 80,000 miners in 2013, a 10 percent decrease in employment compared to 2012, with 2014's numbers unavailable. This downward trend in coal has allowed for two solar jobs to every one in the coal mining industry, while solar growth outpaced oil & gas by 50 percent.
This is with only 0.4 percent of the nation's total power coming from solar energy panels. As solar grows, job opportunities will also expand exponentially, as will other renewable energy platforms. At the same time, 10 percent of the nation's coal-fired power plants are expected to close over the next five years, and price fluctuations in oil are driving more consumers and enterprises to consider solar for their energy production needs.
In order to fully leverage this trend and lend support to the economy and employment growth that solar enables, you should consider solar panels for your home as well. Solar provides many benefits, including reducing or eliminating your electricity bill and carbon footprint. If you would like more information on photovoltaic solar panels, contact SolarMax Technology today.

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