Florida Solar Jobs Census 2015

2015
FLORIDA
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 InterAmerican 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 THE FLORIDA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER
The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the
University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active statesupported energy research institute in the nation. Current research
activities include Advanced Energy Research: alternative transportation
fuels, batteries, hydrogen and fuel cells; Buildings Research: energyefficient buildings; and Solar Energy: solar water and pool heating,
photovoltaic (solar electric) systems, testing, and certification. For more
information about the center, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

The University of Central Florida, the nations second-largest university
with nearly 60,000 students, has grown in size, quality, diversity and
reputation in its first 50 years. Today, the university offers more than 200
degree programs at its main campus in Orlando and more than a dozen
other locations. UCF is an economic engine attracting and supporting
industries vital to the regions future while providing students with realworld experiences that help them succeed after graduation. For more
information, visit http://today.ucf.edu.
COVER IMAGE
1 MW PV ARRAY ON ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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 Florida 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 Florida Solar Energy Center at
the University of Central Florida for providing
editorial guidance and peer review, the 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 Florida

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 Florida Solar Jobs Census 2015,
The Solar Foundation, available at: www.TSFcensus.org and SolarStates.org
1 MW PV ARRAY AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA/JIM GROSSMANN
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
Florida Solar Jobs Census 2015
Florida Solar Capacity Additions, 2010 - 2015E
Added Capacity (MW)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2010
Residential (PV)
2011
2012
Non-Residential (PV)
2013
Utility (PV)
2014
2015E
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
Source: SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015
The market for solar energy in the state of

Florida the Sunshine State is perhaps the
most surprisingly underwhelming in the entire
country. With both the third largest state
population2 and the best year-round natural
solar resource east of Texas,3 Floridas geography
alone establishes the state as a potential solar
powerhouse. Despite these realities, the state
ranked a mere 13th in cumulative installed
solar capacity through September of 2015.
Floridas 266 MW of installed capacity leave it
far behind notably less sunny East Coast states
like Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey,
and just barely ahead of Pennsylvania, one of the
countrys most prominent coal states.4 That said,
as of November, 6,560 workers were employed
by the solar industry at 3,793 establishments
across the state.5
As of September, just over 32 MW of solar

capacity had been installed in Florida during
2015. While this is in fact more than was
installed in the state over the full 12 months of
the previous year, it is only a little more than half
of the 62 MW installed in the small northeastern
state of Connecticut during the same period.
Since 2011, less than 30 MW of solar capacity
have been added in Florida each year, though

experts estimate 2015s capacity additions to
have exceeded 50 MW by the end of December.6
Even with this quicker rate of installation, the
yearly total is still less than half of that installed
in the state during 2010, a year when a single
75 MW utility-scale concentrating solar power
(CSP) plant, the Martin Next Generation Solar
Energy Center, accounted for the lions share of
the years 110 MW of capacity additions.7
The Martin CSP plant aside, utility-scale solar
projects have been largely absent from the
Florida solar market, leaving the residential and
non-residential market segments to move the
industry forward in the state.8 Development
of these smaller systems, though, has been
relatively sluggish in light of the apparent lack
of attention solar has received from Floridas
policymakers and traditional electric utilities.
Florida law does not require utilities to source a

percentage of their electricity generation from
clean sources of energy, like solar, through a
renewable portfolio standard (RPS). In other
states across the country, these standards
have proven integral to the establishment of a
2
sustainable local solar market, particularly for

utility-scale projects. They also often provide
incentive for smaller-scale systems through
renewable energy credits (RECs) markets.
In such markets, utilities bound by RPS
requirements may purchase RECs from any
person or business generating clean energy to
help them meet their goals.
Florida is also one of only five states in the
country to expressly prohibit third party
power purchase agreements (PPAs) of solar
systems.9 PPAs are mechanisms that allow a
solar company to install a system, usually a PV
array, on a customers property at little or no
cost to the customer. The customer then buys
the electricity generated by the system from the
solar company, rather than from their traditional
electric utility. This particular financing model
has spurred market development for smallscale systems in other states across the country,
because it generally results in lower monthly
electric bills for the customer and does away
with the otherwise significant initial investment
required to own a system outright. The lack
of a third party PPA option in the state means
Florida residents and businesses interested in
installing solar on their properties are required
to buy the systems in full themselves, effectively

eliminating large numbers of prospective
customers who cannot afford the upfront cost
of a system.
Although net metering is permitted by state

law,10 Floridas prohibition of third party PPAs
is seen by many as having a deleterious effect
both on small-scale solar development and
competition in the states electricity market.
Diverse groups on both sides of the issue are
currently pushing ballot initiatives one for
2016 and one for 2018 but no matter their
respective successes at the voting booth, PPAs
are likely to remain a contentious issue in local
politics for years to come.11
Regardless of this ongoing debate, the Florida

solar industry is projected to ramp up capacity
additions in 2016, more than doubling the states
currently installed capacity.12 These additions
are, perhaps unsurprisingly, expected to be led
by a resurgent utility-scale market segment, as
projects of this magnitude are largely unaffected
by the legal uncertainties surrounding the ballot
initiatives. Florida solar employers anticipate
hiring accordingly, expanding their payrolls by
roughly 515 workers, or around 7.8%.13
ABOUT THE FLORIDA SOLAR JOBS CENSUS 2015
This report includes information about all types

of Florida 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 Florida.
Unlike economic impact models that generate
employment estimates based on economic
data or jobs-per-megawatt (or jobs-per-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 18 of this report.
3
FLORIDA
SOLAR JOBS
Key Data Points
Total Solar Jobs, 2015
6,560
Cumulative Installed
Capacity thru Q3 2015 (MW)14
266.3
Projected Solar
Jobs Growth, 2016
515
(7.8%)
Capacity Installed in
2015 thru Q3 (MW)15
32.1
Detailed employment and demographic data for Floridas 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.
Installation Jobs
3,217
Manufacturing Jobs
735
Sales & Distribution Jobs
449
Project Development Jobs
1,974
WORKFORCE
OVERVIEW
The Florida solar industry employs 6,560
workers at 3,793 establishments throughout
the state. Florida is ranked 8th nationally in
solar jobs, and 24th in solar jobs as a share of the
states total employment. Employers expect
to add around 515 new solar workers to
payrolls over the course of 2016 a growth
rate of 7.8% while the states workforce as a
whole is projected to grow only 1.2% during the
same period.16
Installation firms employ the largest portion

more than 49% of the Florida solar workforce,
followed by project development firms, at just
over 30%. The vast majority of Florida solar firms
more than 66% report working primarily on
residential solar projects, compared to 15.5%
for non-residential and 17.9% for utility-scale
projects. These percentages are likely to shift
over the coming year, as the rate of utility-scale
development in the state accelerates.
Solar Jobs Census 2015
Sector
Installation
Manufacturing
Other Jobs
185
Sales &
Distribution
Project
Development
Other
FL Solar
Workforce
U.S. Solar
Workforce
49.0%
57.4%
6.8%
11.7%
11.2%
30.1%
2.8%
14.5%
10.8%
5.7%
The Florida solar workforce is generally less diverse than the states workforce as a whole, with
women (15.3%), African-Americans (10.4%),
Latinos (19.5%), and older workers (6.6%) all
relatively underrepresented. However, many of
these otherwise underserved demographics

African-Americans, Asian or Pacific Islanders,
and Latinos are represented in the state solar
workforce at higher rates than their counterparts in the solar industry nationwide.
Florida Solar
Workforce
Florida Overall
Employment17
U.S. Solar
Workforce
Women
15.3%
47.3%
23.8%
African-American
10.4%
15.1%
5.1%
Asian or Pacific Islander
11.4%
3.0%
8.6%
Latino or Hispanic
19.5%
23.3%
11.3%
Older Workers (55+)
6.6%
24.4%
18.6%
Union Members
1.0%
5.5%
6.0%
8.1%
Veterans of the U.S. Armed

Forces
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 ser-
vice to employment in the civilian solar workforce.18 Florida 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
6.0% of the states solar workforce, compared to 8.4% of the states workforce as a
whole and 8.1% of the solar workforce nationally.
6
Position
Solar Installer
Solar Sales Representative
Solar System Designer
Solar Assembly Worker
South Atlantic Division

Median Wage
U.S.
Median Wage
$18.00
$21.00
$20.00
$26.92
$32.40
$28.85
Wages paid by firms in the Florida 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 are generally paid below the median
wages for their counterparts in the solar industry across the rest of the country, while solar
sales representatives are paid slightly better.
$18.00
qualified candidates to fill openings on their

payrolls as other solar firms across the country.
This is rather interesting, given that a much larger portion of the Florida solar positions hired for
required higher education of some sort (75.2%)
than solar positions hired for across the country in 2015 (44.6%). This further reinforces the
premise that a lack of trained and experienced
talent is a national problem throughout the solar industry.
On average, solar employers in Florida experience roughly the same level of difficulty finding
Difficulty Hiring in Florida
Florida
22.0%
48.0%
30.0%
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
7
Approximately 41% of Florida solar firms reported that they receive all of their revenues
from solar activities, which is lower than the
national average of 48.2%, while just over 30%
reported that they receive less than half of their
revenues from solar activities, compared to
28.5% nationally. Roughly the same portion of
the states solar firms (62.5%) work primarily
with in-state customers as solar firms nationally (65.6%).
As part of the Census 2015 effort, employers

were asked about the impacts of specific existing, pending, and proposed policies on their
business prospects. Florida employers overwhelmingly cite the federal investment tax
credit (ITC) as substantially contributing to
their firms success, with 59.8% of respondents

referring to it directly, more than doubling the
second most commonly cited policy, a renewable portfolio standard, at 23.0%. It is interesting to note the latter, as the state does not have
a renewable portfolio standard of its own, signifying that many of these Florida-based firms are
engaged in business in states whose markets do
benefit from such a policy.
The following pages include detailed breakdowns of workforce data by sector. While there
are a number of Florida solar firms focusing on
manufacturing, 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
Utility Rebates
Accelerated Depreciation
Net Metering
0.0%
Florida
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
National
Installation Jobs
3,217
INSTALLATION
Projected 2016
Growth
187
Projected 2016
Growth Rate
5.8%
Establishments
2,530
Solar Installer
Median Wage
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 49.0%
of all solar employment in Florida, employing
3,217 workers. Firms in the sector expect to add
around 187 positions to their payrolls over the
course of 2016, a growth rate of 5.8%.
Florida installation firms report greater levels
of difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill
openings on their payrolls than firms on average
in other sectors of the states solar industry,
as well as other firms in the installation sector
nationwide.
$18/hr
Installation Sector - Difficulty Hiring
FL Installation
14.3%
U.S. Installation
50.0%
19.7%
0%
35.7%
54.2%
20%
Not Difficult
40%
60%
Somewhat Difficult
Approximately the same percentage of Florida

installation firms (82.6%) work primarily
with in-state customers as their counterparts
in the installation sector nationwide (81.5%).
However, a smaller percentage of installation
firms in the state are pure play solar businesses,
26.0%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
receiving 100% of their revenue from solar

activities, than installation firms across the
country. This diversification of business activity
may in part be a reaction by employers to the
regulatory impediments they face in the states
residential and non-residential solar markets.
Installation Sector - % Revenues from Solar
4.5%
4.5%
FL Installation
U.S. Installation
45.5%
11.7% 7.2%
0%
20%
1-24%
Pure Plays, 45.5%
22.1%
Pure Plays, 59.0%
40%
25-49%
60%
50-99%
80%
100%
Pure Plays
10
Sales & Distribution Jobs
449
SALES &
DISTRIBUTION
Projected 2016
Growth
36
Projected 2016
Growth Rate
8.0%
Establishments
546
Solar Sales Representative

Median Wage
Sales & distribution firms

primarily sell (but not
install) solar goods and
services to customers and/
or warehouse and distribute
solar goods to/for installers.
The sales and distribution sector is responsible
for 6.8% of all solar employment in Florida,
employing 449 workers. Firms in the sector
expect to add around 36 positions to their
payrolls over the course of 2016, a growth rate
of 8.0%.
Sales and distribution firms in the state report

significantly greater levels of difficulty finding
payrolls than firms on average across the states
solar industry more broadly, as well as other firms
in the sales and distribution sector nationwide.
$32.40/hr
11
Sales & Distribution Sector - Difficulty Hiring
FL Sales & Distribution
58.3%
U.S. Sales & Distribution
41.7%
24.7%
0%
51.9%
20%
Not Difficult
40%
60%
Somewhat Difficult
A larger percentage of Florida sales and

distribution firms (76.2%) work primarily with
in-state customers than their counterparts in
the sales and distribution sector nationwide
(64.7%). A smaller percentage of sales and
23.4%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
distribution firms in the state are pure play solar

businesses, receiving 100% of their revenue
from solar activities, than sales and distribution
firms across the country.
Sales & Distribution Sector - % Revenues from Solar
FL Sales & Distribution
U.S. Sales & Distribution
26.3%
11.7% 7.8%
0%
21.1%
27.6%
20%
1-24%
10.5%
25-49%
40%
50-99%
Pure Plays, 42.1%
Pure Plays, 52.9%
60%
80%
100%
Pure Plays
12
Project Development Jobs
1974
PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT
Projected 2016
Growth
136
Projected 2016
Growth Rate
6.9%
Establishments
290
Solar System Designer

Median Wage
$20/hr
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 30.1% of all solar employment in Florida,
employing 1,974 workers. Over the course of
2016, employers expect to add another 136
positions to payrolls, growing by 6.9%. This
reflects a sense of cautious optimism among
firms involved in the utility-scale market
segment, which is projected to dominate
capacity additions in the state during the year.
Florida project developers report greater
levels of difficulty finding qualified candidates
to fill openings on their payrolls than firms on
average across the states solar industry more
broadly, as well as other firms in the project
development sector nationwide.
13
Project Development Sector - Difficulty Hiring
FL Project Development
52.4%
14.3%
U.S. Project Development
21.4%
0%
54.1%
20%
Not Difficult
33.3%
40%
Somewhat Difficult
A larger percentage of Florida project

development firms (83.3%) work primarily
with in-state customers than their counterparts
in the project development sector nationwide
(74.9%). Interestingly though, a much smaller
percentage of project development firms in the
state are pure play solar businesses, receiving
100% of their revenue from solar activities, than
24.5%
60%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
project development firms across the country.

This may be a function of the states relatively
nascent utility-scale market segment. If so, the
percentage of pure play solar companies and
their corresponding payrolls in this sector will
likely grow if the projected ramp-up in utilityscale installation continues beyond 2016.
Project Development Sector - % Revenues from Solar
FL Project Development
8.6% 8.6%
U.S. Project Development
14.5% 7.8%
0%
20%
1-24%
42.9%
25-49%
23.1%
Pure Plays, 40.0%
Pure Plays, 54.6%
40%
60%
50-99%
Pure Plays
80%
100%
14
Other Jobs
185
Projected 2016
Growth
Projected 2016
Growth Rate
Establishments
269
OTHER
Other firms active in
solar are primarily research
and development firms,
nonprofits, government
agencies, academic research
centers, etc
Firms that fall into the Other sector of the solar
industry are responsible for 2.8% of all solar jobs
in Florida, employing 185 workers. While this
represents only a small fraction of the Sunshine
States solar workforce, it plays an outsized role
in determining the future of its solar market,
through the development of new technologies,
determination of new policies, and advocacy.
Other firms in Florida generally report

significantly lower levels of difficulty finding
payrolls than firms in other sectors of the states
solar industry, as well as firms on average in the
solar industry nationwide. This is likely related
to hiring managers focusing less on a candidates
previous solar experience and more on his or
her educational achievement, with nearly 44%
of employees at other firms working in a
management or professional capacity.
15
"Other" Sector - Difficulty Hiring
FL "Other"
54.5%
U.S. "Other"
36.4%
27.9%
0%
9.1%
53.5%
20%
40%
Not Difficult
60%
Somewhat Difficult
A significantly smaller percentage of other

firms in Florida (25.0%) work primarily with
in-state customers than their counterparts
in the sector nationwide (54.5%). Similarly, a
smaller percentage of these firms in the state
are pure play solar businesses than other
firms in the industry nationally. Both of these
are potentially reflective of the historically
18.6%
80%
100%
Very Difficult
harsh policy environment for solar, and

renewable energy more broadly, in the state,
as successful advocacy over time tends to
catalyze industry growth, which in turn leads
to further specialization of regulatory agencies
and the proliferation of state- and issue-specific
advocacy organizations.
"Other" Sector - % Revenues from Solar
5.0%
FL "Other"
45.0%
U.S. "Other"
23.4%
0%
10.1%
20%
1-24%
20.0%
24.3%
40%
25-49%
Pure Plays, 30.0%
Pure Plays, 42.2%
60%
50-99%
80%
100%
Pure Plays
16
CONCLUSION
While it is expected that, in 2015, Floridas
solar industry will have installed more than
twice the capacity that was installed in 2014,
the Sunshine State continues to dramatically
underperform in terms of the potential scale of
its market for solar energy. At just over 266 MW
of cumulative installed capacity as of September
2015, the state trails even the much smaller, less
sunny state of Maryland (337.5 MW),20 home
to a population less than a third the size of
Floridas. With the legality of third-party power
purchase agreements promising to remain
unsettled until after the general election in
November, the residential and non-residential
market segments will almost certainly maintain
their current sluggish pace of growth into
2017. Industry experts do, however, project a
significant uptick in utility-scale projects over
the course of 2016 the segment, by itself,
expected to roughly double the total capacity
currently installed in the state during the year.
This sudden and seismic shift in the focus of an

industry that has, since 2012, been dominated
by small- and medium-scale solar projects,
to the development of large-scale projects,
can reasonably be perceived as a response by
Floridas traditional electric utilities to their
individual customers and ratepayers growing
demand for solar. This demand has made itself
increasingly apparent over the course of 2015
through the ongoing public debate around
third party ownership and the competing solar
initiatives vying for a spot on the 2016 ballot.
If this is in fact the case, and if attitudes toward
distributed solar in Tallahassee remain constant,
utility-scale development will likely continue to
drive the states solar market for years to come.
Although the Florida solar industry has faced
challenges keeping it from realizing its full
potential, the size of the local solar workforce
rivals that of other historically successful solar
states. At 6,560 workers, the Florida solar
workforce is the 8th largest in the country, just
ahead of the Southeasts solar powerhouse,
North Carolina (5,950) boasting nearly five
times Floridas currently installed capacity and

just behind Arizona (6,922), the second largest
solar state in the country by capacity. Employers
are expecting to expand their payrolls in 2016,
adding roughly 512 positions, representing
7.8% growth more than six times the growth
expected for the states workforce economywide, but only a little more than half the growth
expected for the U.S. solar industry at large.
Interestingly, Floridas solar manufacturers
are projected to lead this expansion, growing
payrolls by 21.4% over the coming year, nearly
tripling the anticipated growth of all other
sectors.
It is unclear how the public debate around

third party ownership and power purchase
agreements between utilities, the solar industry,
and advocates on both sides will pan out in the
long run, but the geographic realities of the
Sunshine State and the ever-decreasing costs
associated with solar all but ensure the viability
of the Florida solar industry in the long-term. In
order to sustain this future growth, it is essential
that Florida 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 in-house, 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 Florida
solar customers.
This research shows that the Florida solar
industry, despite its myriad of challenges, is
a source of economic opportunity, with the
potential to create 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.
17
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.
18
19
Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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.
FLORIDA FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

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
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Pacific
Islanders
Older
Veterans of
Latino or
Union
Workers
the US Armed
Hispanic
Members
(55+)
Forces
124
19
13
14
24
205
31
21
23
40
14
12
38
13
12
121
106
428
246
195
283
117
119
144
220
271
292
84
281
137
19
16
66
38
30
43
18
18
22
34
42
45
13
43
21
771
118
124
19
336
518
287
289
249
227
191
195
51
79
44
44
38
35
29
30
13
11
45
26
20
30
12
12
15
23
28
30
9
29
14
80
35
54
13
30
30
26
24
20
20
14
12
49
28
22
32
13
14
16
25
31
33
10
32
16
24
21
83
48
55
23
23
28
28
26
22
22
19
8
8
9
57
55
27
24
33
16
16
53
14
33
28
15
150
59
43
88
38
65
101
56
56
49
44
37
38
18
19
19
9
51
22
34
8
19
19
16
15
13
13
1
1
4
3
3
1
1
2
7
6
26
15
17
7
7
9
13
3
3
3
1
8
4
5
1
3
3
3
2
2
2
16
17
17
8
46
20
31
7
17
17
15
14
11
12
20
FLORIDA STATE SENATE

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
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
88
13
10
17
197
30
21
23
38
13
12
11
78
83
125
137
55
121
16
298
117
210
177
74
92
155
184
87
287
232
124
78
220
29
617
94
182
215
250
180
286
135
177
203
449
82
126
158
12
13
19
21
19
2
46
18
32
27
11
14
24
28
13
44
36
19
12
34
4
95
14
28
33
38
28
44
21
27
31
69
13
19
24
8
9
13
14
13
2
31
12
22
18
8
10
16
19
9
30
24
13
8
23
3
64
10
19
22
26
19
30
14
19
21
47
9
13
17
9
9
14
16
14
2
34
13
24
20
8
10
18
21
10
33
27
14
9
25
3
15
16
24
27
24
3
33
15
20
23
51
9
14
18
8
1
12
41
15
18
14
5
6
30
10
56
19
36
17
45
24
15
12
6
15
8
5
43
14
18
42
21
34
23
25
28
20
120
21
58
70
11
36
49
35
56
26
35
40
88
16
24
31
41
12
14
16
12
19
9
12
13
30
5
8
10
1
1
1
1
1
0
5
5
7
8
7
1
18
11
1
2
1
1
2
13
4
5
9
11
14
1
3
1
1
17
7
5
13
0
6
2
2
3
2
3
1
2
2
5
1
1
2
37
11
13
15
11
17
8
11
12
27
5
8
9
21
District
39
40
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
125
17
19
3
13
2
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
14
2
24
3
8
1
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
FLORIDA 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
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
36
25
27
20
29
27
26
40
17
22
38
46
4
3
5
4
4
6
3
3
6
7
84
13
22
18
12
29
14
15
53
9
40
3
2
4
2
2
8
1
6
3
2
3
3
3
4
2
2
4
5
3
2
3
3
3
5
2
2
4
5
5
4
6
5
5
8
3
4
7
9
10
16
2
1
3
1
2
6
1
4
2
1
3
2
2
4
2
6
3
3
10
1
5
2
8
2
1
2
2
2
3
1
1
3
3
6
1
1
1
2
1
1
3
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
3
5
1
1
1
2
1
1
3
1
2
11
25
24
90
14
10
17
25
81
12
16
208
32
22
24
40
14
34
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
18
56
70
57
3
9
11
9
2
6
7
6
2
6
8
7
11
14
11
1
4
5
4
12
1
1
1
3
4
3
22
District
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
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
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
20
46
51
25
38
21
8
4
6
3
5
3
4
2
10
5
4
94
14
10
11
18
54
10
16
9
2
50
33
2
1
0
8
5
2
1
0
5
3
2
1
0
6
98
15
10
11
27
60
9
17
9
1
3
6
1
2
7
1
2
3
2
0
10
19
12
2
5
3
122
19
13
14
24
71
11
14
73
16
34
16
46
11
2
5
2
7
76
12
24
149
44
0
47
38
148
34
80
23
87
34
8
2
4
2
5
8
0
8
2
4
2
5
7
6
5
4
23
15
12
13
5
4
8
9
4
3
9
17
16
15
23
14
9
0
5
5
4
17
4
9
3
10
4
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
6
3
Union
Members
3
2
3
1
6
1
1
4
0
3
2
6
4
1
2
1
8
5
1
5
2
1
3
5
0
29
10
9
9
7
2
3
3
3
29
10
16
17
7
2
5
6
2
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
1
0
3
1
2
1
6
1
1
3
0
3
2
6
4
1
2
1
7
4
1
4
2
1
3
5
0
9
1
3
0
3
2
9
2
5
1
5
2
23
District
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
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
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
80
12
16
56
11
15
61
2
9
2
6
2
7
102
16
11
12
52
112
75
94
518
62
18
80
82
42
56
17
11
12
8
13
9
14
10
11
79
10
12
13
6
9
54
6
8
9
4
6
9
5
6
23
36
137
101
43
37
46
21
16
7
6
7
14
11
4
4
5
15
18
12
4
16
8
11
5
4
5
20
8
7
9
12
7
3
99
15
10
11
39
51
36
69
43
14
0
8
5
11
7
2
0
5
4
7
4
1
12
27
16
61
14
18
43
10
26
25
10
6
10
14
9
28
92
60
34
16
219
22
17
10
34
15
20
101
22
12
59
145
8
0
6
4
8
5
2
12
5
19
0
10
8
7
13
8
3
1
0
9
7
3
2
3
6
4
2
4
7
0
3
3
2
5
3
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
4
6
3
7
1
4
6
31
1
0
1
0
1
2
0
0
4
1
5
3
3
9
0
0
13
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
8
6
3
2
3
5
4
2
4
6
0
3
2
2
4
3
1
24
District
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Islanders
(55+)
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
41
Union
Members
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
260
40
27
30
51
17
78
12
15
24
59
10
20
47
1
1
16
11
FLORIDA METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS
Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Cape Coral-Fort
Myers, FL
DeltonaDaytona BeachOrmond Beach,
FL
FL NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
Fort Walton
BeachCrestviewDestin, FL
Gainesville, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Lakeland, FL
Miami-Fort
LauderdalePompano Beach,
FL
Naples-Marco
Island, FL
Ocala, FL
OrlandoKissimmee, FL
Palm BayMelbourneTitusville, FL
Palm Coast, FL
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Latino
Older
Veterans of
Union
Pacific
or
Workers
the US Armed
Members
Islanders Hispanic
(55+)
Forces
275
42
29
31
53
18
16
190
29
20
22
37
13
11
148
23
15
17
29
10
35
42
28
31
53
18
16
2,646
405
276
302
516
175
28
158
127
19
13
15
25
769
118
80
88
150
51
46
13
43
272
123
84
229
19
13
35
13
24
14
10
26
24
16
45
15
14
25
Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Panama CityLynn Haven, FL
35
Pensacola-Ferry
Pass-Brent, FL
Port St. Lucie, FL
79
12
47
165
Punta Gorda, FL
SarasotaBradentonVenice, FL
SebastianVero Beach, FL
32
11
10
17
15
25
17
19
280
43
29
32
55
18
72
11
14
59
Tallahassee, FL
TampaSt. PetersburgClearwater, FL
Asian or
Latino
Older
Veterans of
Union
Pacific
or
Workers
the US Armed
Members
Islanders Hispanic
(55+)
Forces
870
133
91
99
11
169
57
52
FLORIDA COUNTIES
County
Alachua
Baker
Bay
Bradford
Brevard
Broward
Calhoun
Charlotte
Citrus
Clay
Collier
Columbia
Desoto
Dixie
Duval
Escambia
Flagler
Franklin
Gadsden
Gilchrist
Glades
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
40
34
227
0
5
26
36
23
24
127
52
35
830
2
0
4
87
0
4
2
0
7
15
10
162
0
5
125
19
13
14
24
10
6
2
1
1
1
1
1
44
95
0
2
1
55
0
2
2
8
1
0
0
203
31
21
23
40
13
58
13
4
2
1
9
2
1
0
0
6
1
0
0
0
7
1
0
0
0
11
3
1
0
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
14
9
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
50
0
2
1
8
1
0
0
12
1
0
0
0
0
3
1
0
0
0
26
County
Gulf
Hamilton
Hardee
Hendry
Hernando
Highlands
Hillsborough
Holmes
Indian River
Jackson
Jefferson
Lafayette
Lake
Lee
Leon
Levy
Liberty
Madison
Manatee
Marion
Martin
Miami-Dade
Monroe
Nassau
Okaloosa
Okeechobee
Orange
Osceola
Palm Beach
Pasco
Pinellas
Polk
Putnam
Santa Rosa
Sarasota
Seminole
St Johns
St Lucie
St. Johns
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
1
4
36
27
0
1
5
4
0
0
4
3
0
0
4
3
0
1
7
5
0
0
2
2
373
57
39
43
73
25
58
2
1
0
9
0
0
84
13
10
271
63
1
2
32
375
48
13
13
7
2
1
19
365
10
20
56
2
3
0
8
31
7
0
0
0
4
0
0
6
53
18
12
0
4
1
0
15
93
101
173
59
9
9
5
1
1
122
86
13
138
11
16
39
899
10
57
7
136
10
10
888
46
0
28
11
82
42
75
84
10
9
5
1
1
43
5
16
16
9
2
2
14
24
1
2
1
1
13
1
17
175
42
25
103
38
73
94
10
71
2
4
59
24
8
1
1
196
30
20
22
38
13
80
12
16
254
30
0
39
5
0
26
3
0
29
3
0
49
6
0
17
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
22
0
1
0
0
1
0
3
0
0
5
16
1
0
0
1
1
1
4
1
0
4
5
5
53
0
0
0
3
1
1
22
1
9
4
1
0
0
54
22
7
1
1
12
3
0
0
15
2
0
27
County
Sumter
Suwannee
Taylor
Union
Volusia
Wakulla
Walton
Washington
Total
AfricanWomen
Employment
American
Asian or
Older
Latino or
Union
Pacific
Workers
Hispanic
Members
Islanders
(55+)
Veterans of
the US Armed
Forces
15
4
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
188
29
20
21
37
12
10
0
2
0
1
0
1
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
11
0
0
0
1
Photo courtesy of Saint Peters Blog
28
ENDNOTES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
SEIA/GTM Research Solar Market Insight Q3 2015

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States,
Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: July 1, 2015. Release Date: December 2015
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Photovoltaic Solar Resource of the United States. Found at: http://www.
nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
The 2014 estimate of solar employment in Florida 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
also 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 methodology can be found on
page 18.
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. (2010, December). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://www.
nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=267
The residential, non-residential, and utility-scale market segments are defined by SEIA based on the offtaker of
the electricity they generate, though they can also generally be used interchangeably with small-scale (i.e. singlefamily household rooftop system, generally no more than a handful of kilowatts), medium-scale (i.e. 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).
3rd Party Solar PV Power Purchase Agreement. (2015, July 1). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://
ncsolarcen-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/3rd-Party-PPA_072015.pdf
Freeing the Grid. (2016). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://freeingthegrid.org/#state-grades/florida
Trabish, H. (2015, August 13). Inside the contentious fight over rooftop solar in Florida. Retrieved January
19, 2016, from http://www.utilitydive.com/news/inside-the-contentious-fight-over-rooftop-solar-inflorida/403679/
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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ABOUT THE SOLAR FOUNDATION

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ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for

Finally, we want to thank all the Florida

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

1 MW PV ARRAY AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

have continued to expand the size of their

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

Added Capacity (MW)

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