Employment in the renewable energy industry is set to surge, according to a new report by SIA. The industry will add close to 10 million new jobs globally over the next seven years. Demand for workers is being driven by ongoing government and private-sector support for renewable energy, and firms are scrambling to find workers with the right skills.
“Energy companies around the world cite talent shortages and difficulty sourcing workers as one of their largest concerns about potential growth,” writes Amy Horvat, SIA research analyst and author of the report.
Many renewable energy jobs require highly specialized or highly in-demand skills. Workers include those who design and operate renewable energy sites as well as those involved in their construction and the manufacturing of equipment.
The renewable energy space includes solar, wind power, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal energy, and marine energy (i.e., tide and wave energy), according to the report.
Solar ranks as the top job generator. It accounted for 44% of all renewable energy jobs in 2023 and created nearly 75% of all new renewable energy jobs through 2030. Horvat noted solar usage is growing faster than other types of renewable energy, in part, because it can be installed by individual consumers as well as on a utility scale.
The next biggest generator of renewable energy jobs was wind power, which is expected to create a further 15% of new jobs in the sector through 2030.
Where are the jobs located? China represents 33% of all renewable energy workers; however, the country is relatively complex in terms of temporary staffing. The countries with the next-largest renewable energy workforces include the US, Brazil, and India.
“Of these, India is by far the most attractive because it continues to develop its utility infrastructure to meet the modern needs of its large population, while the US is the least complex in terms of labor market restrictions,” Horvat writes.
Several staffing firms are already supplying workers in this space and are listed in the report.
The full report, Renewable Energy Staffing Global Market Assessment, is available to corporate members of SIA.