North Carolina Solar Jobs Census 2015

2015
NORTH CAROLINA
SOLAR JOBS
CENSUS
ABOUT THE SOLAR FOUNDATION

The Solar Foundation (TSF) is an independent 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase
understanding of solar energy through strategic research and
education that transforms markets. TSF is considered the
premier research organization on the solar labor workforce,
employer trends, and the economic impacts of solar. It has
provided expert advice to leading organizations such as the
National Academies, the Inter-American Development Bank, the
U.S. Department of Energy, and others during a time of dynamic
industry growth and policy and economic uncertainty.
While TSF recognizes that solar energy is a key part of our
energy future, it is committed to excellence in its aim to help
people fairly and objectively gauge the value and importance of
solar technologies.
ABOUT BW RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
BW Research is widely regarded as the national leader in labor
market research for emerging industries and clean energy
technologies. In addition to the Census series, BW Research
has conducted rigorous solar installation and wind industry
labor market analysis for the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, wind energy and energy retrofit studies for the
Natural Resources Defense Council, a series of comprehensive
clean energy workforce studies for the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, Illinois, Vermont, Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa,
and California, as well as numerous skills and gap analyses
for community colleges, workforce investment boards, state
agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA CLEAN ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY CENTER
The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, as part of
the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University,
advances a sustainable energy economy by educating, training,
demonstrating and providing support for clean energy
technologies, practices, and policies. It also administers the
Database of Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), a
resource providing financial incentives and clean energy policies
from across the country. For more information about the
NCCETC, visit: http://nccleantech.ncsu.edu/.
Twitter: @NCCleanTech
COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Solar Foundation (TSF) is a national 501(c)
(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to
increase understanding of solar energy through
strategic research and education that transform
markets. In 2010, TSF conducted its first National
Solar Jobs Census report, establishing the first
credible solar jobs baseline and verifying that
the solar industry is having a positive impact
on the U.S. economy. Using the same rigorous,
peer-reviewed methodology, TSF has conducted
an annual Census in each of the last six years to
track changes and analyze trends.
This North Carolina Solar Jobs Census 2015
report is an offshoot of TSFs National Solar
Jobs Census 2015 effort. Research partners
for the Census 2015 effort include the North
Caolina State University's North Carloina Clean
Energy Technology Center (NCCETC), George
Washington University Solar Institute for
providing assistance and support in reviewing
and validating report results and analysis; the
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for

use of its National Solar Database and peer
review; and GTM Research/SEIA for providing
survey respondents with the U.S. Solar Market
Insight: 2014 YIR report.
Sponsors of this years Census effort include:
Energy Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett
Foundation, Tilia Fund, George Washington
University Solar Institute, SEIA, Recurrent,
SolarCity, First Solar, Sol Systems, E.ON,
Trina Solar, State of Minnesota Department
of Commerce, State of New Mexico Energy
Minerals and Natural Resources Department,
Utah Governors Office of Energy Development,
sPower, Standard Solar, CALSEIA, All Earth
Renewables, and groSolar.
Finally, we want to thank all the North Carolina

employers that participated in the survey. Your
responses were critical in providing us with
accurate and timely data.
For questions or comments about this report, please contact either:
Andrea Luecke
President and Executive Director
The Solar Foundation
202-469-3750; aluecke@solarfound.org
www.TheSolarFoundation.org
Philip Jordan
Principal and Vice President
BW Research Partnership
508-384-2471; pjordan@bwresearch.com
www.bwresearch.com
Please cite this publication when referencing this material as North Carolina Solar Jobs Census
2015, The Solar Foundation, available at: www.TSFcensus.org and SolarStates.org
PLACEHOLDER IMAGE
Photo courtesy of GRID Alternatives
Photo courtesy of Solar City
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. solar industry experienced
yet another record-breaking year
in 2015, with more than 7,400
megawatts (MW) of domestic
photovoltaic (PV) capacity expected
to have been installed an 18.5%
increase over that of 2014 bringing
total U.S. solar capacity to nearly
27.5 gigawatts (GW).1
As the rate of capacity installation has
accelerated, employers across the country
have continued to expand the size of their
payrolls. This years sixth annual National

Solar Jobs Census found that the U.S. solar
industry employed 208,859 workers as of
November 2015, representing the addition
of 35,052 jobs, and a 20.2% increase in
employment over November 2014. Since The
Solar Foundation began tracking these numbers
in 2010, employment in the industry has more
than doubled, growing by 123% and adding over
115,000 jobs. Employers nationwide expect
this growth trend to continue through 2016,
projecting to add nearly 31,000 jobs to the solar
workforce over the course of the year.
U.S. PV Capacity Additions & Solar Jobs, 2010 - 2015E

8,000
208,859
Solar Jobs
200,000
173,807
100,000
6,000
142,698
150,000
93,502
105,145
7,000
5,000
119,016
4,000
3,000
2,000
50,000
Added Capacity (MW)
250,000
1,000
0
0
2010
2011
2012
PV Capacity Additions
2013
2014
2015E
Solar Jobs
Capacity Data Source: SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015
North Carolina Solar Jobs Census 2015
North Carolina Solar Capacity Additions, 2010 - 2015E
Added Capacity (MW)
1000.0
800.0
600.0
400.0
200.0
0.0
2010
2011
Residential
2012
2013
Non-Residential
2014
2015E
Utility
Source: SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015
The solar industry in North Carolina has shared

in the dramatic growth experienced by the solar
industry nationally. In recent years, the Tar Heel
State has catapulted toward the top of the state
rankings in terms of installed solar capacity,
and in 2015 became just the fourth state to
achieve the 1 GW milestone.2 North Carolina
currently trails only California, Arizona, and
New Jersey, all of which have more than 1,200
MWs installed as of the end of September 2015.3
Employment in the local industry has kept pace,
and as of November 2015, 5,950 workers
are employed by the solar industry at 2,314
establishments across the state.4
As of September, more than 300 MW of solar
capacity had been installed in North Carolina
during 2015, but industry projections for the
last three months of the year bring the states
total capacity additions for 2015 to around 1
GW.5 While such a significant end-of-year rampup is not uncommon for the solar industry, the
solar market in North Carolina is unique in its
composition compared to other states across
the country. Of the solar capacity installed in
the Tar Heel State since 2010, roughly 95% has
come in the form of large utility-scale projects,

with the non-residential market responsible for
the lions share of the remaining 5%.6
The North Carolina residential market has

been constrained by state policies prohibiting
third party ownership of electricity generating
facilities. North Carolina also requires any entity
that sells electricity directly to consumers be
certified as a public utility by state regulators,
and thus, is subject to all legal and regulatory
requirements accompanying the designation.7
Innovations in third party ownership models
have been largely responsible for the recent
boom in residential solar installations
nationwide, lowering or even eliminating the
associated upfront costs, thereby reducing
the barrier to entry for many potential solar
customers who would otherwise be unable to
afford it. North Carolina is one of only five states
across the country that expressly prohibits
these practices.8
Interestingly, while North Carolinas policy
environment has acted to restrict the
development of these smaller solar projects,
2
the opposite has proven true for larger projects.

The utility-scale market segment has benefited
from various state policies that were originally
passed with little consideration of solar energy.
Chief among these, the federal Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA)
required states to institute their own practices
for overseeing the development of what the
law refers to as qualifying facilities, or QFs.
Intending to provide certainty for independent
hydropower operators in the state, North
Carolina established a guaranteed 15-year
contract for each QF smaller than 5 MW between
the electric utility and the owner at the utilitys
avoided cost, or the cost the utility would have
otherwise incurred to produce that additional
power. Solar companies have effectively
capitalized on this rule, leveraging the longterm guaranteed cash flows to finance 5 MW or
smaller solar projects all over the state.9
North Carolina utilities are also subject to

requirements under the states renewable
portfolio standard. Passed in 2007, the
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Portfolio Standard (REPS) mandates that all
investor-owned utilities in the state supply
12.5% of their electricity sales from renewable
sources by 2021. At the time of the laws
passage, the relatively high installed cost of solar
systems led policymakers to believe solar would
not significantly contribute to the fulfillment of
these requirements, so a 0.2% solar carve-out

was included to en-sure at least a minimum
level of solar activity in the state.10
As of November 2015, 5,950

workers are employed by the
North Carolina solar industry
at 2,314 establishments.
In addition to these policies, since 2007, solar

installations of any size have been eligible for
a tax credit of 35% of their cost, up to $10,500
for individual customers or $2.5 million for
corporate customers.11 Although there were
legislative efforts in 2015 to extend the credit
beyond its scheduled expiration date at the end
of the year, they failed to gain the necessary
traction and the credit expired on December
31st.12 The looming expiration of this tax credit
likely instilled a sense of urgen-cy in the local
industry, expediting projects to bring them online
before the end of the year and the expiration
of the credit. Because of this, industry experts
expect capacity additions to slow in 2016. Even
so, North Carolina solar employers project to
add more than 600 positions to payrolls in
2016, growing the states solar workforce by
10.2%.13
Photo courtesy of Ross Solar Group
ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA SOLAR JOBS CENSUS 2015

This report includes information about all
types of North Carolina companies engaged
in the analysis, research and development,
production, sales, installation, and use of all solar
technologies ranging from solar photovoltaics
(PV), to concentrating solar power (CSP), to
solar water heating systems for the residential,
commercial, industrial, and utility market
segments.
The findings presented herein are based on

rigorous survey efforts throughout the months
of September, October, and November 2015 that
include telephone calls and emails to known
and potential solar establishments across
North Carolina. Unlike economic impact models
that generate employment estimates based on
economic data or jobs-per-megawatt (or jobsper-dollar) assumptions, The Solar Foundations
Solar Jobs Census series provides statistically
valid and current data gathered from actual
employers. This analysis also purposefully
avoids artificially inflating its results with

questionable multiplier effects often found in
analyses of other industries.
The number of establishments included in this

report include all businesses that conduct any
solar activity. This includes many businesses
that play a very small part in a solar project,
or provide financing, legal services, or other
support services to solar firms. Employment,
however, is only counted for workers that spend
at least 50% of their time on solar.
A full explanation of this methodology can be
found on page 15 of this report.
The solar employment numbers included in

the North Carolina Solar Jobs Census 2015 are
very similar to the numbers published by the
North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association
(NCSEA). The slight discrepancy is due only
to differences in methodology. Read more on
NCSEA's approach here.
Photo courtesy of 02 emc, NC
NORTH CAROLINA
SOLAR JOBS
Key Data Points
Total Solar Jobs, 2015
5,950
Cumulative Installed
Capacity thru Q3 2015 (MW)14
1,263.6
Projected Solar
Jobs Growth, 2016
604
(10.2%)
Capacity Installed in
2015 thru Q3 (MW)15
310.4
Detailed employment and demographic data for North Carolina's legislative districts, counties, and metropolitan statistical
areas can be found in the appendix of this report and on The Solar Foundations interactive jobs map at SolarStates.org.
WORKFORCE
OVERVIEW
Installation Jobs
2,384
Manufacturing Jobs
1,144
Sales & Distribution Jobs
995
Project Development Jobs
572
The North Carolina solar industry employs 5,950

workers at 2,314 establishments throughout the
state. The state is ranked 9th nationally in solar
jobs and 14th in solar jobs as a share of the states
total employment. Employers expect to add
around 604 new solar workers to payrolls over
the course of 2016 a growth rate of 10.2%
while the states workforce as a whole is
projected to grow only 1.3% during the same
period.16
Installation firms employ the largest portion
more than 40% of the North Carolina solar
workforce, followed by manufacturing at just
over 19%. This differs from the solar industry
nationally, in which 57.5% of the workforce is
employed by installation firms and only 14.5% of
workers are employed by manufacturing firms. It
is worth noting that project development firms
employ less than 10% of the states solar workers,
even though utility-scale projects were responsible
for the vast majority of the states 2015 capacity
additions. This could signify that many solar firms
in the state self-identifying as installation firms
work primarily on utility-scale projects, rather
than residential and non-residential projects like
their counterparts nationwide.
Solar Jobs Census 2015
Sector
Installation
Other Jobs
855
Manufacturing
Sales &
Distribution
Project
Development
Other
NC Solar
U.S. Solar
Workforce Workforce
40.1%
57.4%
16.7%
11.7%
19.2%
9.6%
14.4%
14.5%
10.8%
5.7%
North Carolina
Solar Workforce
North Carolina Overall

Employment17
U.S. Solar
Workforce
Women
24.2%
47.5%
23.8%
African-American
5.3%
20.3%
5.1%
4.8%
3.1%
8.7%
3.8%
9.8%
11.3%
23.1%
22.2%
18.6%
1.0%
5.5%
7.8%
8.0%
8.1%
Asian or Pacific
Islander
Latino or Hispanic
Older Workers
(55+)
Union Members
Veterans of the U.S.
Armed Forces
The North Carolina solar workforce is generally

less diverse than the states workforce as a
whole, with women (24.2%), African-Americans
(5.3%), and Latinos (3.8%) all relatively
underrepresented. However, women, AfricanAmericans, and older workers are represented in
the state solar workforce at higher rates than their
counterparts in the solar industry nationwide.
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces represent a

uniquely valuable source of human capital for
solar employers. With a proven work ethic and
practiced discipline, veterans bring a wealth
of readily transferable skills and leadership

acumen to the industry. Through the Solar Ready
Vets program, the U.S. Department of Energy is
helping the industry capitalize on this resource
by facilitating the transition from military service
to employment in the civilian solar workforce.18
North Carolina solar firms have yet to take
advantage of this value proposition to quite
the same extent as their counterparts across
the country, with veterans comprising only
7.8% of the states solar workforce, compared
to 8.0% of the states workforce as a whole
and 8.1% of the solar workforce nationally.
Position
South Atlantic Division

Median Wage
U.S.
Median Wage
$18.00
$21.00
$20.00
$26.92
Solar Installer
Solar Sales Representative
$32.40
Solar System Designer

Solar Assembly Worker
$28.85
Wages paid by firms in the North Carolina solar

industry do not differ in a significant way from
those paid by solar employers across the other
states comprising the U.S. Census Bureaus South
Atlantic Division.19 Solar installers and system
designers in the state are among the lowest paid
in the country, at $18.00 and $20.00 per hour
respectively, but solar sales representatives are
better paid than their counterparts nationally.
Solar employers in North Carolina experience
a similar level of difficulty finding qualified
$18.00
candidates to fill openings on their payrolls

as other solar firms across the country. This is
somewhat surprising, considering that solar
employers in the state have generally more
stringent requirements for new hires than
their counterparts nationally. In 2015, 88.4%
of solar positions hired in the state required
previous solar-related work experience (67%
nationally), 52.2% required a bachelors degree
or higher (35% nationally), and 15.9% required
an associates degree or certificate, but not a
bachelors degree (10% nationally).
Difficulty Hiring in North Carolina
North Carolina
22.7%
54.5%
22.7%
South Atlantic
24.6%
52.3%
23.1%
National
24.2%
51.7%
24.2%
0%
20%
Not Difficult
40%
Somewhat Difficult
60%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
8
Just over 41% of North Carolina solar firms

reported that they receive all of their revenues
from solar activities, which is lower than the
national average of 48.2%, while 32.4% reported
that they receive less than half of their revenues
from solar activities, compared to 28.5%
nationally.
A smaller portion of the states solar firms (56.8%)
work primarily with in-state customers than solar
firms nationally (65.6%). The remainder of the
states solar firms (43.2%) reported working
primarily with domestic customers outside
of North Carolinas neighboring states. This
particular point is perhaps unsurprising, given
the relatively undeveloped solar markets of the
southeastern states outside of North Carolina.
As part of the 2015 Census effort, employers
were asked about the impacts of specific existing,
pending, and proposed policies on their business

prospects. North Carolina employers primarily
cited the federal investment tax credit (ITC) as
substantially contributing to their firms success,
with 51.4% of respondents referring to it directly.
The states renewable portfolio standard, the
REPS, was a close second, cited by 45.9% of firms.
Other tax exemptions, credits, and rebates were
cited as beneficial by 29.7% of firms, possibly in
reference to the states recently expired renewable
energy tax credit.
The following pages include detailed breakdowns

of workforce data by sector. While there are a
number of North Carolina solar firms focusing
on manufacturing, sales & distribution, and other
activities, these firms responded to the survey
in insufficient numbers to provide statistically
significant data for each individual sector.
Businesses Citing Policies Contributing to Success

Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
State Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
Other Tax Exemptions, Credits, & Rebates
EPA Clean Power Plan
RECs
Accelerated Depreciation
0.0%
10.0%
North Carolina
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
National
Sector Jobs
2,384
Establishments
1,597
Solar Installer
Median Wage
$18/hr
INSTALLATION
The installation sector is the

largest sector of the U.S. solar
industry and is composed
of companies that primarily
install PV, solar water heating,
and other solar energy
technologies.
The installation sector is responsible for 40.1%
of all solar employment in North Carolina,
employing 2,384 workers. Installation firms
in the state report that only 46.2% of their
employees work primarily on the installation
or repair of solar systems, compared to 56.1%
of the employees at installation firms across
the country. Conversely, 19.3% of employees at
these firms work primarily on the production
or manufacture of solar-related products and
equipment, compared to just 4.0% nationally,
suggesting North Carolina installation firms tend
to bring a larger portion of the manufacturing
process in-house than their counterparts
nationwide.
10
Installation Sector - % Revenues from Solar
NC Installation
21.4%
U.S. Installation
11.7% 7.2%
0%
21.4%
22.1%
20%
1-24%
14.3%
Pure Plays, 42.9%
Pure Plays, 59.0%
40%
25-49%
A larger percentage of North Carolina

installation firms (85.7%) work primarily with
in-state customers than their counterparts in
the installation sector nationwide (81.5%).
Interestingly, a significantly smaller percentage
of installation firms in the state are pure play
solar businesses, receiving 100% of their
revenue from solar activities, than installation
firms across the country.
60%
50-99%
80%
100%
Pure Plays
Fewer installation firms in North Carolina

cited the ITC as materially contributing to their
success than installation firms nationally. This
is likely a direct result of the states own 35%
renewable energy tax credit, though now that
this credit has expired, the ITC is certain to earn
more attention from the sector.
Installation Firms Citing Policies Contributing to Success

Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
State Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
Other Tax Exemptions, Credits, & Rebates
EPA Clean Power Plan

0.0%
NC Installation
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
U.S. Installation
11
Sector Jobs
572
Establishments
134
Solar System Designer

Median Wage
$20/hr
PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT
The project development

sector includes companies
that plan, design and build
large commercial- and
utility-scale solar projects.
The project development sector is responsible for
9.6% of all solar employment in North Carolina,
employing 572 workers. Project development
firms in the state report that only 38.4% of their
employees work primarily on the installation or
repair of solar systems, compared to 45.6% of the
employees at project development firms across
the country. Similar to the states installation
sector, a larger percentage of employees at North
Carolina project development firms are directly
involved in the production or manufacture of
solar-related products and equipment (14.1%)
than at project development firms nationally
(9.2%). This internal structure further
demonstrates the motivation of solar firms in
the state to bring elements of the manufacturing
process in-house.
12
Project Development Sector - Difficulty Hiring
8.3%
NC Project Development
U.S. Project Development
58.3%
21.4%
0%
54.1%
20%
Not Difficult
33.3%
40%
60%
Somewhat Difficult
North Carolina project developers report

significantly greater levels of difficulty finding
qualified candidates to fill openings on their
payrolls than state solar firms more broadly, as
well as other firms in the project development
sector nationwide.
A slightly smaller percentage of North Carolina
project development firms (70.0%) work
primarily with in-state customers than their
24.5%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
counterparts in the project development sector

nationwide (74.9%). These firms also tend to
be less solar-focused in terms of their revenue
streams, with a significantly smaller percentage
being pure play solar businesses (receiving
100% of their revenue from solar activities)
than project development firms across the
country.
Project Development Sector - % Revenues from Solar
NC Project Development
20.0%
14.5%
0%
1-24%
7.8%
U.S. Project Development
15.0%
20%
25-49%
30.0%
23.1%
Pure Plays, 35.0%
Pure Plays, 54.6%
40%
60%
50-99%
Pure Plays
80%
100%
13
CONCLUSION
While the North Carolina solar industry
experienced a record-breaking 2015, with
capacity additions for the year expected to have
reached 1 GW, the expiration of a valuable 35%
state tax credit on December 31st is likely to
slow the rate of installation in 2016. Indeed,
industry experts anticipate such a slowdown,
with projections for the year falling well below
the totals for 2015, but still well above the
states capacity additions in 2014. However,
rather than 2016 representing a contraction of
the solar industry, it is probable that numerous
installations, that would have otherwise
commenced operation in 2016, were expedited
to 2015 in order to take advantage of the tax
credit before it expired.
The North Carolina solar industry is, by far,

the most robust of any state in the Southeast,
boasting the fourth most installed capacity in
the country as of the end of September 2015,
and nearly five times the installed capacity of
its nearest competitor in the region Florida.
At 5,950 workers, the Tar Heel States solar
workforce is the 9th largest in the country,
well ahead of its immediate neighbors, such
as Tennessee (3,798) and Georgia (3,185),
its closest competitors. Even though the
states solar industry employs fewer workers
than the Florida solar industry (6,560), the
North Carolina solar workforce constitutes a
dramatically larger portion of total employment
in the state, signifying a higher degree of
impact on the states overall economy. Even
with the projected pullback in the states solar
installations for 2016, employers are expecting

to expand their payrolls, adding more than 600
jobs, representing 10.2% growth over the year
nearly eight times the growth expected for
employment throughout the states economy as
a whole, but only a little more than two-thirds
the growth expected for the U.S. solar industry
at large.
North Carolinas consistent policy environment

has provided the solar industry a level of
certainty that has allowed it to flourish.
However, to sustain this growth into the future,
it is essential that North Carolina employers
have ready access to quality talent and skilled
labor or enhance their on-the-job training
offerings. To achieve this, more focused and
comprehensive solar training efforts inhouse, in-state, and across the country must
be sufficiently emphasized. These efforts would
reduce the industrys talent acquisition, training,
and retention costs, increasing efficiency across
the solar value chain, and ultimately reducing
costs for North Carolina solar customers.
This research shows that the North Carolina

solar industry is a growing source of economic
opportunity, creating jobs that pay living
wages and are largely available to individuals
of different backgrounds from across the state.
Only regular reexaminations of the states solar
industry, its workforce, and the employment
opportunities presented herein will confirm
this potential is realized in years to come.
14
APPENDIX
STATE CENSUS METHODOLOGY AND DATA SOURCES
The Solar Jobs Census methodology is the most
closely aligned with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology for its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) and
Current Employment Statistics (CES). Like BLS,
this study uses survey questionnaires and employer-reported data, though ours are administered by phone and web, as opposed to mail.
Also like BLS, we develop a hierarchy of various categories that represent solar value chain
activities (within their broader NAICS framework), develop representative sample frames,
and use statistical analysis and extrapolation in
a very similar manner to BLS. We also constrain
our universe of establishments by relying on
the most recent data from the BLS or the state
departments of labor, depending on which is
collected most recently. We believe that the categories that we have developed could be readily adopted by BLS should it choose to begin to
quantify solar employment in its QCEW and CES
series.
The results from the overall 2015 Census effort
are based on rigorous survey efforts that include
287,962 telephone calls and over 44,220 emails
to known and potential energy establishments
across the United States, resulting in a total of
2,350 full completions for solar establishments
in the U.S. Unlike economic impact models that
generate employment estimates based on economic data or jobs-per-megawatt (or jobs-perdollar) assumptions, the Solar Jobs Census series provides statistically valid and current data
gathered from actual employers.
The survey was administered to a known universe of energy employers that includes 68,494
establishments and is derived from the Solar
Energy Industry Associations National Solar
Database, as well as other public and private
sources. Of these establishments, 2,118 identified as solar and completed full or substantially
completed surveys.
The survey was also administered to a stratified, clustered, random sampling from various
industries that are potentially energy-related
(unknown universe) that include a total of approximately 314,000 establishments nationwide. After an extensive cleaning and de-duplication process, a sampling plan was developed
that gathered information on the level of solar
activity (including none) from 12,765 establishments. Of these, 327 establishments qualified
as solar establishments and completed full surveys. The sampling rigor in the known and unknown universes provides a margin of error for
establishment counts at +/-0.85% and employment at +/-1.99% at a 95% confidence interval.
This level of national sampling rigor is mirrored
at the state level. In addition to the known Census, the clustered sampling in the unknown
universe is representative relative to establishment totals by size in each of the 50 states and
the District of Columbia. This ensures that each
states employment estimates are accurate with
a maximum margin of error under +/-5% at a
95% confidence interval.
Due to the number of qualifying responses,

some smaller states have higher margins of error for non-employment related questions, such
as workforce and policy related questions, due
to the small universe of solar establishments in
each state. As a result, some state-level, non-employment data is reported using regional averages or have footnotes denoting small response
sizes.
15
GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF DATA

In addition to the statewide results detailed
herein, the Solar Jobs Census 2015 effort
compiled comprehensive information about the
distribution of solar workers across each state.
The Solar Jobs Census 2015 companion website,
SolarStates.org, houses solar jobs data for each
state and the District of Columbia. Here, the
employment data have been broken out and
represented in map form at the state, federal

congressional district, state legislative district,
metropolitan statistical area, and county
levels. What follows are tables presenting
the employment counts and demographic
breakdowns of the workforce at each specified
level of granularity previously mentioned.
NORTH CAROLINA FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Pacific
Islanders
Older
Veterans of
Latino or
Union
Workers
the US Armed
Hispanic
Members
(55+)
Forces
610
125
42
42
14
113
14
26
524
107
36
36
12
97
12
22
1,002
372
592
331
238
205
76
121
68
49
505
103
249
51
937
501
36
54
192
103
7
11
68
25
40
23
16
34
64
34
17
2
4
68
25
40
23
8
185
69
13
109
34
11
93
11
17
46
23
16
64
34
2
4
8
5
61
44
21
173
11
1
92
10
NORTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
23
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
13
8
5
21
11
1
1
42
16
25
14
10
21
39
21
10
2
2
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
166
34
11
11
31
97
20
18
97
65
124
70
10
182
114
134
20
13
25
14
2
37
23
27
7
4
8
5
1
12
8
9
7
4
8
5
1
12
8
9
2
1
3
2
0
4
3
3
18
12
23
13
2
34
21
25
2
1
3
2
0
4
3
3
4
3
5
3
0
8
5
6
16
District
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
35
61
20
20
21
113
23
154
31
66
297
119
102
22
101
118
17
449
69
82
121
199
132
0
88
101
165
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
14
24
4
21
24
3
8
5
10
8
1
7
8
1
8
5
10
8
1
7
8
1
41
14
14
18
27
21
9
0
7
9
0
7
126
26
670
137
302
17
48
38
0
3
10
8
143
151
112
3
0
3
9
3
0
31
23
10
10
8
3
0
2
2
4
0
0
3
0
3
9
2
5
8
10
10
8
7
0
1
1
3
3
3
4
5
1
37
24
0
16
19
30
0
3
29
56
3
9
7
15
15
2
1
22
13
24
19
3
3
10
2
2
5
3
0
2
2
4
0
0
83
29
22
4
8
19
12
25
15
10
19
124
10
2
22
15
21
29
6
12
46
1
46
23
21
55
12
62
16
123
11
79
60
11
27
29
32
133
141
11
156
11
16
34
25
28
10
17
31
5
21
31
5
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
92
14
Union
Members
26
5
11
23
26
28
21
3
4
3
3
8
6
0
4
4
7
0
1
5
7
13
0
1
3
3
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
28
1
0
2
6
6
1
3
3
5
6
6
5
17
NORTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
60
12
11
89
18
16
67
76
15
91
74
34
33
35
14
16
3
19
15
7
7
7
5
5
1
6
5
2
2
2
5
5
1
6
5
2
2
2
188
38
13
13
46
50
8
33
10
2
7
55
11
118
34
17
78
16
0
10
24
7
4
16
3
0
2
75
15
128
26
11
25
12
400
5
2
0
3
1
2
4
8
2
0
1
5
1
0
1
5
2
1
9
0
3
1
2
4
8
2
0
1
5
1
0
1
5
2
1
9
82
27
27
72
15
123
25
14
195
42
3
0
0
1
1
1
1
40
13
13
9
0
0
3
8
0
0
3
8
0
0
2
2
0
2
2
1
1
1
12
14
3
17
14
6
6
6
35
0
1
0
1
0
9
1
6
10
3
1
0
2
0
0
0
22
6
3
14
3
0
2
14
24
1
0
9
0
5
2
74
3
13
23
4
1
0
0
0
36
8
1
0
0
2
2
0
2
2
1
1
1
4
0
1
1
0
1
1
3
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
1
0
3
3
3
1
4
3
1
1
1
8
0
2
2
0
1
2
5
1
0
1
3
1
0
0
3
1
0
5
17
0
0
4
1
3
0
0
0
1
0
8
2
5
0
0
0
18
District
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
24
0
11
55
11
53
0
49
14
39
0
10
3
8
0
61
12
42
51
30
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
10
6
0
4
0
0
3
1
3
0
4
3
3
0
2
0
4
0
0
3
1
3
0
4
3
3
0
2
153
31
10
10
53
11
140
58
93
23
6
26
0
23
3
33
33
37
45
29
12
19
5
1
5
0
5
1
7
7
8
9
116
24
16
25
111
11
23
2
94
19
26
24
27
5
5
10
4
6
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
3
3
8
2
8
1
1
6
2
2
2
10
4
6
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
3
3
8
2
8
1
1
6
2
2
2
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
10
10
0
1
0
1
0
0
9
3
7
0
11
1
1
1
8
9
6
28
10
0
3
1
2
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
26
11
17
4
1
5
0
4
1
6
6
7
8
21
1
3
0
20
2
17
1
1
4
5
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
3
0
3
1
1
2
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
0
0
2
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
2
1
2
0
3
2
2
0
1
6
0
6
2
2
4
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
2
2
5
1
5
1
0
4
1
1
1
19
District
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
15
0
3
0
1
0
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
1
229
47
16
16
74
15
56
45
4
12
9
1
0
4
3
0
4
3
0
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
42
14
1
1
0
10
8
1
10
1
1
0
0
2
2
0
471
96
32
32
11
87
11
20
58
35
12
7
4
2
4
2
158
32
11
11
43
10
0
19
38
9
2
0
4
8
54
11
11
41
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
100
21
41
31
0
8
6
84
17
16
214
32
0
46
39
39
3
1
0
1
3
4
3
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
3
0
2
6
3
1
0
1
3
4
3
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
3
0
2
6
44
15
15
7
9
8
8
2
1
3
3
3
2
1
3
3
3
1
1
11
7
29
1
0
0
0
1
8
2
0
3
7
10
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
19
0
1
1
0
8
6
16
5
1
0
1
1
1
39
6
0
9
7
7
1
1
4
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
1
2
5
1
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
7
2
0
0
0
1
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
2
0
1
4
9
1
1
0
2
2
2
20
NORTH CAROLINA METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS

Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asheville, NC
Burlington, NC
Durham, NC
73
24
24
66
15
1,428
292
97
97
32
263
32
60
140
29
10
10
26
603
Fayetteville, NC
Goldsboro, NC
53
GreensboroHigh Point, NC
Raleigh-Cary, NC
Alexander
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Beaufort
Bertie
Bladen
Brunswick
Buncombe
41
4
41
4
14
1
111
10
14
1
25
2
30
10
10
1,255
257
86
86
29
231
29
53
62
13
11
823
13
168
18
235
226
48
46
6
4
56
16
15
6
4
56
2
3
1
19
15
16
NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
71
26
17
13
26
Virginia
Beach-NorfolkNewport News,
VA-NC
Alamance
79
65
NC NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
County
11
149
Jacksonville, NC
Winston-Salem,
NC
123
81
Hickory-LenoirMorganton, NC
Wilmington, NC
14
384
Greenville, NC
Rocky Mount,
NC
359
69
CharlotteGastoniaConcord, NC-SC
Asian or
Latino
Older
Veterans of
Union
Pacific
or
Workers
the US Armed
Members
Islanders Hispanic
(55+)
Forces
15
152
16
27
12
19
42
43
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
3
3
35
10
10
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
69
14
13
17
13
6
14
14
31
6
19
57
268
3
1
3
3
6
1
4
12
55
1
0
1
1
2
0
1
4
18
1
0
1
1
2
0
1
4
18
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
6
2
1
3
3
6
1
3
11
49
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
6
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
2
11
21
County
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Camden
Carteret
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cherokee
Chowan
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Currituck
Dare
Davidson
Davie
Duplin
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin
Gaston
Gates
Graham
Granville
Greene
Guilford
Halifax
Harnett
Haywood
Henderson
Hertford
Hoke
Hyde
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
31
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
2
141
29
10
10
37
25
3
4
5
1
1
80
16
23
14
6
37
27
45
5
3
1
8
5
9
2
0
0
5
2
1
1
0
3
2
3
0
5
2
1
1
0
3
2
3
127
26
56
11
150
31
10
10
19
18
39
20
35
16
179
126
2
4
15
6
4
8
4
7
3
37
26
0
1
3
1
1
3
4
1
2
1
12
9
0
0
1
0
9
1
3
4
1
2
1
12
9
0
0
1
0
292
60
20
20
35
17
46
3
9
51
10
6
8
94
23
54
1
2
19
5
11
1
3
3
0
1
0
6
2
4
1
3
3
0
1
0
6
2
4
26
1
0
5
1
15
1
0
0
1
1
1
4
3
1
7
5
8
23
10
28
0
1
0
1
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
7
4
6
3
33
23
0
1
3
1
54
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
1
1
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
3
8
9
1
1
0
17
4
10
3
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
3
0
1
1
0
1
3
0
4
0
3
0
0
0
0
6
1
2
0
3
1
1
0
0
2
1
2
5
1
2
2
1
1
6
1
8
1
5
0
0
1
0
12
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
2
2
0
0
0
4
1
2
22
County
Jones
Lee
Lenoir
Lincoln
Macon
Madison
Martin
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Moore
Nash
New Hanover
Northampton
Onslow
Orange
Pamlico
Pasquotank
Pender
Perquimans
Person
Pitt
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Rowan
Rutherford
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Transylvania
Tyrrell
Union
Vance
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
31
29
27
25
6
11
17
6
6
5
1
2
3
2
2
2
0
1
1
2
2
2
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
5
5
5
1
2
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1,019
208
69
69
23
188
23
43
45
10
46
2
2
9
1
1
3
1
1
3
155
32
11
11
413
85
28
28
67
6
22
22
3
17
14
1
5
1
3
76
16
17
13
51
43
41
11
9
8
52
11
13
34
26
26
12
33
4
21
1
126
15
7
5
5
3
7
1
4
0
26
3
0
5
0
2
0
1
5
1
4
1
3
3
4
2
2
1
2
1
2
0
1
0
9
1
0
5
0
2
0
1
5
1
4
1
3
3
4
2
2
1
2
1
2
0
1
0
9
1
0
0
1
1
2
9
29
76
0
2
0
1
1
0
0
12
1
4
4
1
3
14
0
1
1
1
2
9
8
8
10
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
3
0
6
5
5
2
6
1
4
0
23
3
0
0
1
4
0
2
0
0
2
7
0
3
17
0
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
3
0
0
1
0
1
3
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
5
1
23
County
Wake
Warren
Washington
Watauga
Wayne
Wilkes
Wilson
Yadkin
Yancey
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
750
153
51
51
17
138
17
32
30
9
5
45
31
27
15
11
2
1
9
6
5
3
2
1
0
3
2
2
1
1
1
0
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
2
1
8
6
5
3
2
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
0
24
ENDNOTES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015

Hales, R. L. (2015, September 28). North Carolina possesses 1 GW of Solar Capacity. Retrieved January 25, 2016,
from http://theecoreport.com/north-carolina-possesses-1-gw-of-solar-capacity/
The Solar Foundations 2014 estimate of solar employment in North Carolina was produced using a carefully
developed dual methodology one for installation and construction jobs and another for non-installation
jobs (covering industry sectors such as manufacturing, sales & distribution, project development, and other
occupations that support the solar industry). Method one used labor intensity multipliers developed internally
and cross-checked with leading studies on the subject, while method two was based not only on a direct count of
solar workers, but also the average number of jobs per solar establishment and total number of establishments
in the state. It is important to note that while the 2014 and 2015 methodologies differ, the results derived from
the Census approach are statistically significant and, therefore, more credible. Details on the Census methodology
can be found on page 15 of this report.
The residential, non-residential, and utility-scale market segments are defined by SEIA based on the offtaker of
the electricity their systems generate, though they can generally be used interchangeably with small-scale (i.e.
single-family household rooftop systems, no more than a handful of kilowatts), medium-scale (i.e. multi-unit,
commercial, or government rooftop system), and large-scale (i.e. ground-mounted or very large rooftop systems
ranging from several hundred kilowatts to several hundred megawatts in capacity).
Trabish, H. K. (2015, November 12). TPO showdown: Duke faces off against greens over NC church's solar array.
Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://www.utilitydive.com/news/tpo-showdown-duke-faces-off-againstgreens-over-nc-churchs-solar-array/408799/
3rd Party Solar PV Power Purchase Agreement - July 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://ncsolarcenprod.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/3rd-Party-PPA_072015.pdf
Smith, O., & Owens, C. (2015, April 27). 5 Reasons for North Carolina's Rapid Emergence as a Solar Energy Leader.
Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2015_04_27_five_reasons_for_north_carolinas_rapid_
emergence_as_solar_energy_leader
Id.
DSIRE, NC Clean Energy Technology Center. North Carolina Renewable Energy Tax Credit. Retrieved January 25,
2016, from http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/541
Morrison, C. (2015, November 13). NC reaches solar energy milestone. Retrieved January 26, 2016, from https://
mountainx.com/news/nc-reaches-solar-energy-milestone/
It is important to note that these projections were based on employer-reported hiring plans for 2016 that may
have since changed in light of the extension of the federal investment tax credit in December of 2015.
Id.
JobsEQ 2015Q3
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by state 2014
Annual Averages and Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by state 2014 Annual Averages.
Found at: http://www.bls.gov/
See, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Ready Vets. Available at: http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/solar-readyvets
U.S Census Bureau, Geographic Terms and Concepts - Census Divisions and Census Regions. Found at: https://
www.census.gov/geo/reference/gtc/gtc_census_divreg.html
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Unless otherwise noted, all design, text, graphics, and the selection and arrangement thereof are Copyright February 2016 by The Solar Foundation
and BW Research Partnership. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials in this report, including reproduction, modification, distribution, or
republication, without the prior written consent of The Solar Foundation and BW Research Partnership, is strictly prohibited.
For questions about this report, please contact Andrea Luecke at The Solar Foundation, aluecke@solarfound.org.
The Solar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies on public support. To learn more about supporting The Solar Foundations work, go to
www.TheSolarFoundation.org/donate/
Washington, DC | (202) 469-3750
www.TheSolarFoundation.org

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North Carolina Solar Jobs Census 2015

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2015

ABOUT THE SOLAR FOUNDATION

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for

Finally, we want to thank all the North Carolina

For questions or comments about this report, please contact either:

Photo courtesy of Solar City

payrolls. This years sixth annual National

U.S. PV Capacity Additions & Solar Jobs, 2010 - 2015E

Added Capacity (MW)

Capacity Data Source: SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015