global renewable energy employment

This study estimates that current global employment in renewable energy is as high as 1.7 million, totalling the individual countries for which numbers are available.

UNEP observes that so far, it is mostly the advanced economies that have shown technological leadership in developing viable renewable energy but now developing countries have a growing role. China and Brazil account for a large share of the global total, having strong roles in solar thermal and biomass development. Many of their jobs are in installations,operations and maintenance, as well as in biofuel feedstocks. The outlook for the future is that developing countries could hope to generate substantial numbers of jobs, for example Kenya in solar technology.

case study: germany

Germany emerged as an early leader in the renewable energy industry,and hence reaped the rewards of some of the first jobs in the green power sector. The current European Union’s renewables goal is to reach20% of final energy consumption from renewables by 2020, and Germany’s federal government has adopted a target of 18% of their own consumption to be renewable by the year 2020. The German share of renewable energy has jumped from 3.8% in 2000 to 9.8% in 2007.

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety estimated gross employment in renewable energy for 2008, as a result of the various encouragement policies. They have found:

• There has been a marked increase in jobs in renewable energy,despite an economic crisis in late 2008.
• The gross estimate of jobs in renewable energy was 278,000 in 2008, up from 249,000 the year before; a 12% increase.
• The total investment in renewable energy facilities in Germany was $17 (€13,1) billion, the majority in Solar PV and wind energy.
• The turnover of German manufacturers of renewable energy equipment was approximately $19,1 (€14,7) billion in 2008.
• The total turnover from the German Solar PV industry is estimated at $6,7 (€5,2) billion. This adds up to 57,000 jobs, including operations and maintenance.
• In one year alone, the German solar thermal market almost doubled;the first estimate of the total turnover is approx. € 1.2 billion.This adds up to 15,500 jobs including operations and maintenance.
• Investment in geothermal facilities increased significantly,including deep geothermal and the heat pump market,this sector is providing around 9,100 jobs.
• Even taking the effects of the economic crisis into account the Ministry expects that the renewable power sector will continue to grow,and by 2020 at least it should provide 400,000 jobs in Germany.