Tag Archives: Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

When expectations meet reality: new certification program helps companies follow through on diversity promises

As consumer expectations change, it’s on businesses to change with them. Many customers want to know that the companies they’re supporting are trying to make the world a more equitable place, and expectations around corporate social responsibility are higher than they’ve ever been. 

To be successful in this evolving marketplace, businesses need to meet customer demand for action with serious commitments. That means it’s time for companies to prioritize important issues such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) to create a more inclusive work environment, serve their communities and hire diverse talent.  

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Solar panel recycling: what you need to know

Solar panels have a lifetime of about 30 years. With the increasing number of solar panels being sold and installed in the U.S. each year, it’s only a matter of time before high volumes of panels are at the end of their useful life and have to be disposed. Solar panel recycling is still at an early stage, but as the solar market continues to expand, recycling processes will have an increasingly important role to play.

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Ethical sourcing of solar components

The solar industry is very much a part of the global economy: its supply chain traverses countries, oceans and continents, sourcing raw materials from certain regions, manufacturing products in others, and, ultimately, sending solar products to home and business owners everywhere. With how interconnected the solar industry is, it’s important to be cognizant of where and how solar equipment is sourced. In lieu of recent credible reports of human rights abuses and forced labor in parts of China that feed into the solar supply chain, it’s worth looking at how to ensure that the solar equipment you purchase is ethically and sustainably sourced. 

Before digging into this, a quick note: allegations of human rights abuses and other unethical practices are an atypical topic area for us. After all, we write about clean energy, not issues of geopolitical intrigue. But we don’t take these reports of human rights violations and forced labor lightly, and we want to make sure you’re aware of this ongoing investigation and have options to ensure your solar equipment is ethically produced.

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An overview of the 2020 National Solar Jobs Census

Every year, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Solar Foundation, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and BW Research release the National Solar Jobs Census. Each release is a great opportunity to take a step back and take stock of the solar industry, and this year’s report–which was launched earlier this month–is no different. Taking a look back at 2020, this year’s Solar Jobs Census chronicles the impact of COVID-19 on the solar workforce, tracks efforts to diversify the solar industry, and looks to the future for how many workers the solar industry will employ under different policy scenarios. Spoiler alert: we’re all hiring! 

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Where are solar installations still happening?

Given the current ongoing COVID-19 situation, you may be wondering both if it’s even possible to still go solar and, if so, where solar installations are still actively taking place. The short answer? Yes and yes! Here’s a deeper dive into what we know about where people are still actively installing solar today. 

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