The job creation potential of Scottish solar
Solar Energy Scotland’s latest briefing describes the job creation potential of the Scottish solar industry. The broad range analysis of UK, US and EU employment data performed shows that if the Scottish government sets a 2030 deployment ambition of 4-6 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity, the industry could support nearly 9,000 jobs, including in manufacturing, construction, and business management.
Thomas McMillan, Chairman of Solar Energy Scotland, said: “We now have, for the first time, a real sense of how many high-quality jobs the solar sector stands poised to bring to Scotland by the end of the decade. We can expect thousands of new jobs to be created, from the most rural parts of the country to our urban centres, and it’s not just installation and maintenance: our members will also be hiring energy advisors, environmental planners, data analysts, and many many other roles.
“The sector requires no subsidy to make this happen, but we do need Ministers to support our ambition for 4-6 gigawatts of new solar power across Scotland by 2030. And there are a series of legacy planning and connectivity obstacles which will need to be swept away if Scotland is to see these benefits. We are confident that the Scottish Government understands the urgency of the situation and sees the benefits the industry is poised to help deliver.”
