Since 2004, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has been compiling information on occupational descriptions and titles for the solar industry focusing primarily on photovoltaics (PV) or solar electricity.  As the solar industry continues to set record growth, we are also seeing corresponding changes in the occupational profiles associated with a maturing industry.  

Not that long ago, a solar installer handled many facets of the job - it was not unusual that "one guy did it all."  But today, there is differentiation in job categories as markets grow; systems are moving from small residential ones to larger, commercial projects requiring a variety of contractors and crews; work is governed by state licensing laws; and consumers are looking for quality assurance through third-party credentialing programs.

According to a July 2008 IREC Report, over 80,000 solar installations were completed in 2007.  The average size of a grid-connected PV residential installation has grown steadily from 2.2 kW to over 4.7 kW from 1998 to 2008.  The size of a non-residential system has also been growing in recent years with an average of 67 kWDC in 2007.

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