A Review of Past Research

A utility-scale solar facility will generate job opportunities during facility construction and operation and maintenance (O&M). Facility construction requires expertise from ironworkers, carpenters, pipefitters, electricians, construction equipment operators, construction managers, boilermakers, millwrights, and skilled and unskilled laborers.1 Developer interviews have indicated a “strong preference” for local labor if the local individuals have the requisite skill sets.2 Most facility workers are employed during the construction phase, with comparatively few full-time workers required during facility operation. Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology is generally more labor-intensive than photovoltaic (PV) technology; hence, CSP facilities generally employ more people during construction and operation.

Government, industry, and non-profit entities have all researched the employment impacts of utility-scale CSP facilities. In the past six years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has contracted at least two studies on the subject.3,4 The Large-scale Solar Association, a solar advocacy association, and the non-profit group the Vote Solar Initiative have also funded studies to investigate the issue.5,6 Table 1 summarizes the results of these four studies. Unfortunately, a difference in units among the various studies makes it difficult to generalize construction job creation. However, during operation and maintenance, a CSP facility can be expected to create anywhere from 0.25 to 0.6 jobs per megawatt (MW) of nameplate capacity.

Table 1 Summary of Four Studies on CSP Facilities and Job Creation. Please note the two different units, jobs/year and job-years, used to describe construction job creation. Construction jobs are often measured in the unit job-year, which refers to one person who is employed full-time (at least 40 hours worked per week) for one year. Without detailed information on each job, such as job duration, it is impossible to convert from jobs/year to job-years.
  Estimated Job Creation      
Construction Duration (years) During construction Per MW During O&M O&M Jobs/MW
3 817 jobs/year 8.17 jobs/year 45 jobs 0.45
2 800 job-years 8 job-years 25-45 jobs 0.25- 0.45
2 455 job-years 4.55 job-years 38 jobs 0.38
6 5,900 jobs/year 2.95 jobs/year 1,200 jobs 0.6


 

1 The Vote Solar Initiative, “The Sun Rises On Nevada: Economic and Environmental Impacts of Developing 2,000 MW of Large- Scale Solar Power Plants,” Studies and Reports, http://votesolar.org/resources/studies/: 8.

2 Vote Solar Initiative, “The Sun Rises On Nevada: Economic and Environmental Impacts of Developing 2,000 MW of Large-Scale Solar Power Plants,” Studies and Reports, http://votesolar.org/resources/studies/: 8.

3 R.K. Schwer and M. Riddel, “The Potential Economic Impact of Constructing and Operating Solar Power Generation Facilities in Nevada,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Innovation For Our Energy Future, www.nrel.gov/csp/pdfs/35037.pdf.

4 L. Stoddard, J. Abiecunas and R. O’Connell, “Economic, Energy, and Environmental Benefits of Concentrating Solar Power in California,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Innovation For Our Energy Future, http://www.nrel.gov/csp/pdfs/39291.pdf.

5 Applied Analysis, “Large-Scale Solar Industry Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis,” Large-Scale Solar Association, www.largescalesolar.org/images/klz1239035972f.pdf.

6 The Vote Solar Initiative, “The Sun Rises On Nevada: Economic and Environmental Impacts of Developing 2,000 MW of Large- Scale Solar Power Plants,” Studies and Reports, http://votesolar.org/resources/studies/: 8.