A new report from the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association finds that North Carolina’s clean energy industry has grown 25 percent per year since 2012. The report found that the clean energy workforce is scattered throughout the state, but highlighted Asheville as one “cluster” for these jobs.
The report, the North Carolina Clean Energy Industry Census, went on to say that the clean energy industry is outpacing growth seen in other industries, and that firms in all sectors of the industry are anticipating hiring new employees in 2015.
“[The industry] now boasts participation by more than 1,200 firms, provides nearly 23,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, and generates approximately $4.8 billion in annual gross revenues,” according to the report.
The largest growth was seen in the Building Effiiency sector, which is made up of technologies, products and services that reduce the amount of energy required for processes, tasks or buildings. Firms in this sector include “developers or installers of more efficient lighting technologies or HVAC systems, producers or installers of other energy conservation technologies for buildings, Energy Star, LEED, or EarthCraft builders [and] developers of more efficient manufacturing processes,” according to the census report.
Other sectors identified by the census include alternative fuel vehicles, biomass/biofuels, energy storage, fuel cells, geothermal, hydropower/marine, smart grid, solar and wind. Building Efficiency and solar sectors make up the majority of the industry — 59 percent with 38 percent for Building Efficiency and 21 percent for solar.
Looking good, NC!