Impact
Economic Benefits
Solar: An Engine for Job Creation
Solar energy creates more jobs than competing energy technologies according to several recent studies by federal research laboratories and by leading universities (see graph at right). Most jobs are local, tied to engineering, installation, electrical work, and maintenance. These studies indicate that every megawatt of solar energy installed creates 24 to 33 new jobs.
Our Economic Impact
D-SUN's combined Solar Energy Investment Companies (SEICs) - sunONE, sunTWO, sunTHREE, sunFOUR, and sunFIVE - will install more than 40 MW of solar generation in the Mid-Atlantic Region by 2015, which will create approximately 960 to 1,320 new jobs. These jobs include skilled laborers needed to properly install and maintain a growing portfolio of solar systems, electrical engineers, system designers, roofing contractors, and information technology professionals.
D-SUN's investments will also spur job creation upstream in the areas of research and manufacturing. The growth of the solar industry nationwide will create a diverse demand for workers with different skill sets, particularly from skilled trades such as construction and engineering. These new jobs will be sustainable given the expected growth of the clean energy industry. Additional jobs will be created in industries complementary to solar, such as smart grid technologies, energy storage, and clean technology.
Additionally, the growth of a domestic solar industry for research and development will strengthen America's role as an exporter of photovoltaic technology and help attract the world's best and brightest scientists and engineers.
Energy Cost Savings
Bulidings with solar systems installed enjoy the benefits of lower electricity costs, especially if they utilize D-SUN's Power Purchase Agreement. Our project partners will also create jobs themselves using the savings they receive from reduced energy costs. Office buildings, manufacturing plants, hotels, and other partner-owned properties and businesses will be able to allocate energy savings to the expansion of operations and payrolls.
D-SUN's combined SEICs will secure millions of dollars in energy savings over the useful lifetimes of the systems installed. The avoidance of health and other costs imposed from fossil fuel electricity generation will lead to even greater savings, both in the public and private sectors.
