OAKLAND, Calif. — Renewable energy accounts for the employment, directly or indirectly, of 2.3 million people worldwide, with the largest gains made where governments support renewables, according to a Worldwatch Institute study.
"It depends very, very strongly on government policy and investment private companies take," said Michael Renner,
Worldwatch researcher and author of the
"Jobs in Renewable Energy Expanding" report. "Even in the years up to now, we have clearly seen countries that give consistent, strong support, for example in Europe, in Germany and Spain."
Using available data, the study estimates there are 1 million biomass and biofuel jobs, 624,000 solar thermal jobs, 300,000 wind jobs and 170,000 solar photovoltaic jobs. Figures include jobs directly in the renewables sector and jobs indirectly related, such as suppliers that provide equipment components.
The data is incomplete due to the fact that one can't look at traditional economic statistics to see the number of renewables jobs, Renner said.
Using what's available, the Worldwatch study shows Germany has 259,000 renewables jobs (a figures estimated to grow to 500,000 by 2020), Spain has 89,000 direct and 99,000 indirect jobs, and the United States, due mostly to support from individual states, had 200,000 direct and 246,000 indirect jobs in 2006.
Renner notes that as renewables jobs have expanded, employment in the coal, oil and natural gas industries have shrunk. In the past 20 years, output of coal has grown by one-third while the number of coal jobs was slashed in half.
Long-term outlooks put the number of wind energy jobs by 2030 at 2.1 million and solar jobs by that same year at 6.3 million. More people will be employed not only in manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels, the study says, but in installing, operating and maintaining the equipment, all jobs that will contribute to local employment growth. Kenya, for example, has 10 large solar photovoltaic companies and 1,000-2,000 solar technicians.
Even though governments have supported the growth of renewables, Renner pointed out that at least in one case, government does not need to increase or maintain high subsidies.
"In Germany for example, the level at which alternative energy, solar, wind and so on are being subsidized deceases each year," he said. "The key is it provide the overall framework that allows investors to say, 'This is something that is not going to lose money forever, this really is a good prospect...this can stand on its own feet.'"
Other factors that have helped renewables grow are guaranteeing renewable energy will be available from the grid and setting guaranteed rates for buying renewable energy.
