Jobs in renewable energy reach 7.7 million worldwide

May 19, 2015
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

More than 7.7 million people were employed in the renewables industry in 2014, an 18% rise from 6.5 million the previous year, according to a new report from the International renewable energy agency (IRENA).

The solar PV industry is the largest renewable energy employer worldwide with 2.5 million jobs, of which two-thirds were in China.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The report, ‘Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2015’, said that falling prices for solar PV and wind equipment globally posed a challenge for manufacturers in some markets, thus affecting jobs. However, accelerated PV installation and expanded operations and maintenance spurred job growth.

The manufacturing of solar panels moved from Europe and North America to Asia. China and Japan were also major markets for installation.

China remained the top solar energy job market, leading in manufacturing and expanding its domestic market.

Manufacturing jobs were on the rise in Malaysia, the Republic of Korea and other regional industrial hubs, however the report said: “Those markets are presently too limited to support considerable employment in the installation segment of the solar PV supply chain.”

In the technology job rankings, solar was followed by liquid biofuels with 1.8 million jobs, and wind power, which surpassed one million jobs for the first time.

Solar PV combined with solar heating and cooling, and concentrated solar power accounted for 3.3 million jobs.

The strongest growth in renewable energy jobs was seen in Asia especially in manufacturing.

Referring to the US market, IRENA director general Adnan Z. Amin said: “Total solar employment surged 22% to 173,800 in 2014. We have also found that the employment of women in the US solar industry is on the rise, increasing from 26,700 to 37,500 last year.”

The top 10 countries for renewables employment are: China, Brazil, the US, India, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, France, Bangladesh and Colombia.

Read Next

October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.
October 16, 2025
Expanding the electrification of Europe’s energy sector, would be the 'main tool' to improve the EU’s energy security, according to Ember.
October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 16, 2025
Off-grid solar company Sun King has revealed plans to set up manufacturing operations in Kenya and Nigeria.
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.
October 15, 2025
The average price of a solar PPA signed in North America increased 4% between the second and third quarters of 2025, according to LevelTen.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK