You could call it a solar flare.
Fresh numbers from the Solar Foundation's California Solar Jobs Census 2014 and the California Solar Energy Industries Association show the state's solar industry employing more people than California's five biggest utilities.
The Solar Jobs Census counts 54,690 solar industry workers throughout the state, while CALSEIA counts 50,607 workers total at PG&E, Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, San Diego Gas & Electric and Sacramento Municipal Utility District combined.
“California’s solar industry is turning sunshine into gold in the form of tens of thousands of jobs,” CALSEIA Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro stated in a press release. “We employ over 50,000 Californians with jobs that can’t be outsourced.”
The trade group credits pro-solar state and federal policies. Solar jobs grew by 15.8 percent in California, while overall job growth was up 2.2 percent, from 2013 to 2014.
The main driver of new solar jobs? Two words: residential rooftop.
A 2010 Weekly cover story described Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, as "a low-interest local government loan, backed by bonds. The money can be used for renewable energy, water conservation or energy efficiency upgrades. The property owner pays it back over 20 years or less in annual installments—ideally close to the property’s annual utility savings—that show up as a line item on the property tax bill. If the home sells, the new owner takes over the payments."
The feds halted the program, arguing PACE could violate mortgage terms. But California officials tweaked the details to resolve those issues, and last year Monterey County welcomed back the program, rebranded as CaliforniaFIRST. It lets middle-class homeowners take out loans for home energy and water efficiency upgrades, including solar panels, with no money down, and repayment through property taxes.
The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council recently adopted a spinoff of PACE called HERO. Residents can begin applying this summer.
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