Solar Energy Technologies Office

Connect the Dots

Did you know that in order to transition to a fully decarbonized electricity system, the solar workforce will need to grow from approximately 346,000 workers in 2022 to between 500,000 and 1.5 million by 2035? This is why the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) funds solar workforce development programs that prepare and sustain a skilled and diverse clean energy workforce that generates many benefits, including:

Economic Opportunities: Solar energy industry job growth represents the largest employment increase—12,256 workers (+3.7%)—out of all clean energy sectors from 2021 to 2022. SETO is helping to guide this boom of solar economic opportunity with its workforce development initiatives.
Grid Resilience and Reliability: Preparing the U.S. utility workforce to manage the expected influx of solar onto the power grid is vital to maintaining grid reliability. SETO programs like the Solar District Cup challenge college students to think about solutions to the issues associated with adding more renewables onto the grid.
Environment: Improving and growing the U.S. solar workforce accelerates deployment, which replaces fossil-fuels and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect the planet.

SETO supports a variety of research initiatives to assess and address the needs of a growing clean energy economy to foster industry growth and ensure employees can thrive in the clean energy transition, allowing communities across the country to reap the benefits of a robust solar energy workforce.

Find more information on the benefits of the solar workforce, SETO’s efforts, and workforce resources on the Connect the Dots on the Solar Workforce webpage.

Follow along with our campaign! We’ve been connecting the dots on rooftop solar. You can join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ConnectSolar and sign up for our newsletter for updates.