1. February 2014
Minnesota Solar Jobs Census 2013
s
Analysis of the Minnesota Solar Workforce

2. Acknowledgements:
The Solar Foundation® (TSF) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase
understanding of solar energy through strategic research that educates the public and transforms markets. In
2010, The Solar Foundation® released its first National Solar Jobs Census report. Census 2010 established
the first credible national solar jobs baseline and verified the positive impact the solar industry is having on
the U.S. economy. Using the same rigorous, peer-reviewed methodology, TSF has conducted an annual
Census in each of the last four years to track changes and analyze trends in the solar industry labor market.
!
This year s National Solar Jobs Census report series was produced by TSF and BW Research
Partnership, with the support of the following research partners:
• The George Washington University’s Solar Institute (GW Solar Institute);
• The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); and
• The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC).
!
TSF would like to acknowledge and thank its sponsors. Without their foresight and leadership, this
report would not have been possible:
• Energy Foundation;
• SolarCity;
• Sierra Club;
• Recurrent Energy;
• GTM Research and SEIA for providing complimentary copies of the U.S. Solar Market
Insight: 2012 Year in Review report to survey respondents; and
• Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations for helping to validate the
methodological framework for Census 2010-2012.
!
TSF and BW Research also want to thank all of the Minnesota solar employers that participated in
the survey. Your responses were critical in providing us with the high level of accurate and timely
data needed to produce this report.
!
!
For questions or comments about this report, please contact either:
Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director
The Solar Foundation®
505 9th Street, NW - Suite 800 Washington, DC 20004
202-469-3750; info@solarfound.org
TheSolarFoundation.org
!
Philip Jordan, Principal and Vice-President
BW Research Partnership
50 Mill Pond Dr. Wrentham, MA 02093
(508) 384-2471; pjordan@bwresearch.com
!
!
Please cite this publication when referencing this material as “Minnesota Solar Jobs Census 2013, The Solar
Foundation, available at: www.TSFcensus.org.”
Cover Photo Courtesy groSolar
2

3. About The Solar Foundation®
The Solar Foundation® (TSF) is an independent national 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose
mission is to increase understanding of solar energy through strategic research that educates the
public and transforms markets. TSF is considered the premier research organization on the solar
labor force, employer trends, and economic impacts of solar. It has provided leading-edge
industry insight to the National Academies, the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S.
Department of Energy, and other organizations during a time of dynamic industry growth and
policy and economic uncertainty.
While TSF recognizes that solar energy is a key part of our energy future, it is committed
to excellence in its aim to help people fairly and objectively gauge the value of the solar industry
worldwide.
About BW Research Partnership
BW Research is widely regarded as the national leader in labor market analysis for
emerging industries and clean energy technologies. In addition to the Census series, BW
Research has conducted rigorous solar installation and wind industry labor market analysis for
the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind energy and energy retrofit studies for the
Natural Resources Defense Council, a series of comprehensive clean energy workforce studies
for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Illinois, and Vermont, and numerous skills and gap
analyses for community colleges, workforce investment boards, state agencies, and nonprofit
organizations.
BW Research provides high quality data and keen insight into economic and workforce
issues related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, recycling, water, waste, and
wastewater management, and other environmental fields. The principals of the firm are
committed to providing research and analysis for data-driven decision-making.
About The George Washington University Solar Institute
The George Washington University Solar Institute (GW Solar Institute) is a unique research
and information center focused on identifying, developing, and sharing pragmatic and politically
attuned solutions to the policy barriers preventing the adoption and scale of solar energy. Toward
these ends, the GW Solar Institute pursues research projects in a wide range of disciplines,
typically in partnership with other university faculty, industry experts, and GW students. In
addition, the GW Solar Institute also leverages its intricate knowledge of the policymaking
process and location in Washington, DC to convene stakeholders and provide decision-makers
with unbiased new ideas on solar related policies, regulatory approaches, and government
investments.
3

4. 1. Introduction
The U.S. solar industry continued it trend of record growth in 2013. The industry employs
142,698 solar workers1 across the entire value chain—from research and development through
installation and maintenance. Market indicators, as well as employers’ reported optimism, each
suggest little sign of a slowdown.
After record 19.9% employment growth since September 2012, employers expect to grow
their payrolls by 15.6% nationally through November 2014, while continuing to become more
efficient and competitive. These projections suggest the addition of 22,240 new solar jobs
nationally in the coming year.
Though perhaps not what one would think of as a “traditional” solar state, Minnesota has
managed to build a respectably-sized solar market over the past decade or so. With 16.2
megawatts (MW) of cumulative installed solar capacity,2 the state generates enough electricity
from solar each year to meet the needs of almost 2,100 average Minnesota homes.3 These figures
place Minnesota as the 28th largest state solar market in terms of total installed capacity. The 864
solar workers supported by this industry in 2013 give the state a similar ranking in terms of solar
employment—31st out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Minnesota’s modest annual capacity growth over the last several years has been supported
by a basic collection of policies, including the state’s respectable net energy metering rules. The
recent uptick in installations starting around 2010 (see Figure 1) can be largely credited to Xcel
Energy’s Solar*Rewards program, through which the utility provided its commercial, residential,
nonprofit, and local government customers with substantial rebates (up to $5.00/watt for certain
systems manufactured in Minnesota).
Recent substantial policy changes, however, place Minnesota on the cusp of a potential
solar boom that may see total installed capacity grow by several hundred megawatts by the end
of the decade. One of the changes expected to lead this flurry of new installations is the state’s
first solar electricity standard, which requires Minnesota’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to
1
For this study, the definition of a solar worker is any person who spends at least 50% of their time conducting
solar activities. Nationally, 91% of these solar workers spend 100% of their time conducting solar activities. In
Minnesota, 80.8% of solar workers spend all of their time conducting solar activities.
2
Sherwood/Interstate Renewable Energy Council, L. (2013). U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Solar-Report-Final-July-2013-1.pdf; Kann/ GTM
Research, S., Mehta/ GTM Research, S., Shiao/ GTM Research, M., Honeyman/ GTM Research, C., Litvak/
GTM Research, N., Jones/ GTM Research, J., . . . Baca/ SEIA, J. (2013). Solar Market Insight 2013 Q3 | SEIA.
Retrieved from http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-2013-q3.
3
SEIA (2014). What's in a Megawatt? | SEIA. Retrieved from http://www.seia.org/policy/solar-technology/
photovoltaic-solar-electric/whats-megawatt.
4

5. derive at least 1.5% of retail electricity sales in 2020 from solar energy in addition to what is
already required under its renewable energy standard. On its own, this solar standard is expected
to result in the addition of 450 MW of new solar capacity in the state in just seven years. Another
recent addition to Minnesota’s solar policy toolkit was the nation’s first-ever statewide Value of
Solar (VOS) tariff, a variation on traditional net metering programs designed to credit customers
for the unused solar electricity their systems produce at a rate that takes into consideration all the
costs and benefits associated with distributed solar. Once a methodology for calculating the VOS
tariff has been approved, IOUs will have the option to offer this tariff in lieu of net metering, but
will not be required to do so.4
Minnesota also recently adopted its “Made in Minnesota” production incentive, under
which customers across several sectors are eligible to receive from between $0.13-$0.18 per
kilowatt-hour (for commercial customers) to $0.29-$0.39/kWh for residential customers for solar
electricity generated from qualified solar modules manufactured in the state. Included among
these reforms was also a mandate that Xcel Energy develop and operate a community solar
garden program, which would make solar energy accessible to rate payers for whom a rooftop
system is not an option.5 Given the scope of these sweeping policy changes, this Census report
was primarily conducted in order to provide an employment baseline from which to measure
future growth in solar jobs resulting from the rapid increase in new solar installations anticipated
over the next several years.
Figure 1: Installed Solar Capacity—Minnesota
Minnesota(Annual(Solar(Power(Capacity(Installa8ons,(2006=2013(
7"
Addi8onal(PV(Expected((Q4(2013)(
6"
Photovoltaics((MW=dc)(
Megawa&s(
(
5"
4"
3"
2"
1"
0"
2006"
2007"
2008"
2009"
2010"
2011"
2012"
2013"
Source:"SEIA"and"GTM"Research,""Solar"Market"Insight""report"series;"Larry"Sherwood,"IREC"
4
Tomassoni/ Minnesota Senate, D., & Mahoney/ Minnesota House of Representatives, T. (n.d.).Chapter 85 Revisor of Statutes (2013). Retrieved from Office of the Revisor of Statuses website: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/
laws/?id=85&year=2013&type=0.
5
Id.
5

6. !
Methodology
The data in this report are collected from a census of the solar industry and a representative
sample of employers throughout the value chain of activities that contribute to the industry. As
with the National Solar Jobs Census, this report includes information about all types of
companies, from component manufacturers to installation subcontactors, engaged in the
production, sale, installation, and use of all solar technologies, ranging from PV to CSP to solar
water heating systems across the residential, commercial, and utility market segments.
Unlike economic impact models that generate employment estimates based on economic
data (such as company revenue) or jobs-per-megawatt (or jobs-per-dollar) assumptions, the
National Solar Jobs Census series provides statistically valid and current data gathered from
actual employers. The primary data contained in this report are drawn from a mixed-method
survey administered directly to employers. Data collection occurred during October and
November 2013 in two stages: (1) through a survey of so-called “known universe”
establishments; and (2) via a random sampling of businesses within various construction, sales
and distribution, and manufacturing industries.
For this Minnesota report, 17,152 telephone calls were attempted and approximately 50
emails were sent to potential solar establishments across the state. This mixed approach, which
the Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes as the emerging standard,6 given its own limitations in
calculating solar employment, allows us to draw broad conclusions about the solar industry with
a high degree of confidence, as well as generate accurate, local level employment estimates.
Over 3,313 Minnesota employers participated in the survey, resulting in 139 full survey
completions. The level of information gathered is truly astounding, with 49% of all potential solar
establishments statewide providing information on their activities connected to the industry. This
results in a low margin of error of +/-1.2% and allows for extremely high confidence in these
state data.
The figures included in this report are conservative estimates, meaning that there may well
be more solar workers than reported herein. It is also important to mention that there are limits to
the survey approach. Because the research findings are based on survey responses, the
employment growth figures cited in the following sections represent employers’ best estimates of
how many jobs they will add over the coming year. As seen in the National Solar Jobs Census
reports, actual growth may vary.
In addition, this report includes employment and demographic information at the state and
federal legislative-district level. Conducting small-sample estimation is a very challenging and
labor-intensive exercise. For this study, a significant oversample of Minnesota firms was required
6
Based on conversations with BLS staff in 2010.
6

7. to gather enough responses to make estimates for 67 legislative districts and eight congressional
districts. The analysis includes constructing zip-code distribution allocations for each district in
the known and unknown databases, small-area means derivation, and comparisons to labor
market statistics and demographic data. The results of this rigorous work are included in the
tables in Section 3.
Photo Courtesy NREL
7

8. 2. Labor Market Analysis: Overview of the Industry
The solar industry in Minnesota employs 864 solar workers, a figure which represents 73%
employment growth from the approximately 500 employed by the industry in September 2012.
This compares quite favorably with overall statewide job growth of 2% over the same period.7
Employers expect continued growth over the next 12 months, anticipating the addition of nearly
250 jobs (28.3% growth in employment through November 2014), with about one in four
employers expecting to add jobs and fewer than 3% expecting to reduce the size of their
workforce (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Employer Expectations, 12 Months—Minnesota
Same number
67.1%
More
24.7%
Fewer
2.7%
DK/NA
5.5%
Survey respondents were asked several questions to better understand their activities and
ensure that they are in fact working in the solar industry. Figure 3 on the following page
illustrates the breakdown of Minnesota establishments, which are mostly focused on installation
and sales or trade.
!
7
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (2014). MNDEED - LMI - CES.
Retrieved February 7, 2014, from https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/ces/default.aspx.
8

9. Figure 3: Percentage of Respondents by Sector
16.4%
6.8%
Installation
5.5%
4.1%
Sales / Trade
Manufacturing / Assembling
1.4%
Project Development
0.0%
Nonprofit
8.2%
Government
56.2%
Academic
1.4%
Other (Including R&D)
Don't know
Table 1: Data by Sector—Number of Solar Workers in Minnesota
Sector
2013 Jobs
2014 Projected
Employment
2013 - 2014 Expected
Growth Rate
Installation
394
508
29%
Manufacturing
124
172
39%
Sales and Distribution
96
109
14%
Project Development
121
179
48%
Other*
129
141
9.3%
Total
864
1,108
28%
*2013 employment in “Other” includes 11 solar workers at nonprofits, 11 in government, and 3 in academia.
Taken together, data on the percentage of respondents by sector and the number of
employees each employs can provide a general sense of the size of some of these companies.
The manufacturing sector, for example, represents only 6.8% of total respondents, but accounts
9

10. for 14% of all solar workers, which means that the average manufacturing firm employs more
workers than firms in some other sectors. A similar conclusion may be drawn for companies
focused on project development, which constitute 5.5% of respondents while accounting for
14% of workers.
Minnesota firms are highly focused on photovoltaics (80.8%) and water heating (41.1%),
roughly consistent with their national peers (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Solar Establishments by Technology Area
80.8%
Photovoltaic
41.1%
Water heating, which includes pool heating
9.6%
Concentrating solar power
11.0%
Other
8.2%
DK/NA
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
In order to determine the proportion of business activities focused on solar, firms were
asked to provide the percentage of revenue derived from solar sales. Minnesota firms are more
likely to be engaged in both solar and non-solar activities, with only 20.5% earning all of their
revenue from solar goods or services (Figure 5). This compares to 44% nationally.
10

11. Figure 5: Company Revenues Attributed to Solar
80%
61.6%
60%
40%
20.5%
20%
13.7%
4.1%
0%
All of it (100%)
Most but not all (50% to 99%) Less than half (1% to 49%)
DK/NA
Minnesota employers were queried on whether the new solar workers added from
November 2012 to November 20138 were newly created positions or were existing employees
who took on new solar-related tasks. In Minnesota, 72.1% of the new solar jobs over the past
year were newly created positions, basically consistent with the 76.9% reported nationally
(Figure 6).
Figure 6: New Positions at Solar Establishments
Newly created
positions
72.1%
Existing
employees given
added solar
responsibilities
27.9%
8
Fourteen months separated the data collection from Census 2012 — 2013. For this question, however, firms
were asked about their employees hired over the last 12 months, a slightly shorter time period but consistent with
employer surveys.
11

12. For Minnesota establishments that reported new solar employment over the previous year,
70.6% indicated that those hired were required to have previous work experience related to the
position, much higher than the national average of 50.2%. Educational qualifications commonly
sought by Minnesota employers differ markedly from what was observed at the national level.
Thirty-eight percent of new solar workers had an associate’s degree or certification from an
accredited college, compared with only 13% nationwide. Nearly 15% of new Minnesota
workers had a least a bachelor’s degree, compared with over 27% nationally.
Figure 7: Background of Newly Hired Solar Workers - Percent of Workers
Required previous work experience
related to the position
70.6%
Required an associates degree or
certificate from an accredited college,
but not a bachelor's degree
38.2%
Required a bachelors degree or
beyond
14.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
!
Survey respondents were asked to provide a demographic profile of their solar workers. In
Minnesota, 8.8% of the solar workforce are women, 1.8% are African American, 10.4% are
Latino/Hispanic, and 4.4% are Asian/Pacific Islander.
Minnesota solar establishments employ veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces at a high rate.
Seventeen percent of the Minnesota solar workforce are veterans, which is significantly higher
than the national average for the industry of 9.2%, and over twice the proportion of veterans
represented in the overall U.S. workforce.
!
12

13. 2.1 Detailed Labor Market Analysis—Installation
As previously reported, the Minnesota solar industry is made up predominantly of firms
engaged in the installation sector. Due to the small but growing size of the market, statistically
significant information on the additional sectors is unavailable. The respondents in the
installation sector, however, did provide relevant information about their activities to be
included.
Solar installation firms in Minnesota are focused primarily on photovoltaics, while almost
one in three install water heating and pool heating products. Concentrating solar power (CSP) is
used only in very small demonstration projects in Minnesota.
Figure 8: Solar Establishments by Technology Area—Installers
100%
90.2%
80%
60%
40%
31.7%
20%
2.4%
4.9%
4.9%
Concentrating
solar power
Other
Don't know/
Refused
0%
Photovoltaic
Water heating,
which includes
pool heating
Photo Courtesy groSolar
13

14. Unlike the national average, more Minnesota solar installers are focused on small
commercial systems, rather than residential installations.
Figure 9: Solar Establishments by Project Size—Installers
Small commercial systems up to 50
kilowatts
78.4%
67.6%
Residential systems
Medium to large commercial and
industrial systems
24.3%
Utility scale projects that deliver
wholesale electricity
5.4%
Large commercial and industrial 201
kilowatts or larger
5.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Minnesota installation firms also differ from their peers across the country in their responses
to why they believe their customers are adopting solar power. Nationally, installation firms saw
cost as their customers’ primary motivation to go solar (“to save money” or “solar energy prices
are now more competitive with utility”), while in Minnesota, 22.5% reported “to benefit the
environment and mitigate climate change.” This compares with only 8.3% of installers nationally
(Figure 10).
Figure 10: Primary Reasons Customers Choose to Install Solar—Installers
42.5%
To save money
To benefit the environment and
mitigate climate change
22.5%
Solar energy costs are now more
competitive with utility
15.0
To have power when the grid goes
down
5.0%
To make America more energy
independent
5.0%
They know a neighbor, friend, or
family member who installed solar
0.0%
Other
0.0%
10.0%
DK/NA
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
14

15. 3. Geographic Data
The high cooperation rates and extensive sampling allowed for detailed geographic analysis
of the Minnesota solar workforce. Sixty-four percent of the Minnesota solar workforce is found in
and around Minneapolis-St. Paul, representing 554 of the 864 solar workers in the state.
The data also include information about each of the 67 legislative districts and eight
congressional districts in Minnesota, presented in the tables and maps below.
Figure 11: Employment by State Legislative Districts
!
15

16. Table 2: Employment by State Legislative Districts
Legislative
District
1
Total
Empl.
6
Women
Latino/
Hispanic
0
Asian/Pac
Islander
0
Veterans
0
African
American
0
2
12
0
0
0
0
3
3
20
1
0
2
1
4
4
7
0
0
0
0
1
5
11
1
0
1
0
2
6
9
1
0
1
0
2
7
3
0
0
0
0
1
8
12
1
0
1
0
2
9
11
0
0
0
0
2
10
7
0
0
0
0
1
11
7
0
0
0
0
1
12
9
0
0
0
0
2
13
14
0
0
0
0
3
14
0
0
0
0
0
0
15
16
0
1
0
0
3
16
10
0
0
0
0
2
17
7
0
0
0
0
1
18
6
0
0
0
0
1
19
5
0
0
0
0
1
20
17
0
1
0
0
3
21
21
1
1
1
0
4
22
5
0
0
0
0
1
23
5
0
0
0
0
1
24
3
0
0
0
0
1
25
10
1
0
1
0
2
26
3
0
0
0
0
1
27
5
0
0
0
0
1
28
3
0
0
0
0
1
29
16
1
0
1
1
3
30
12
1
0
1
1
2
31
21
0
1
0
0
4
32
4
0
0
0
0
1
33
47
6
1
7
3
7
34
11
1
0
1
1
2
1
16

17. Legislative
District
35
Total
Empl.
9
Women
Latino/
Hispanic
1
Asian/Pac
Islander
1
Veterans
1
African
American
0
36
12
1
0
1
1
2
37
15
1
0
1
1
3
38
29
3
0
4
2
5
39
6
0
0
0
0
1
40
28
3
0
4
2
4
41
20
2
0
3
1
3
42
14
1
0
1
1
2
43
1
0
0
0
0
0
44
49
6
1
7
3
8
45
4
0
0
0
0
1
46
2
0
0
0
0
0
47
4
0
0
0
0
1
48
50
7
0
8
3
7
49
20
2
0
3
1
3
50
12
1
0
1
1
2
51
11
1
0
1
0
2
52
5
0
0
0
0
1
53
17
2
0
3
1
3
54
2
0
0
0
0
0
55
8
1
0
1
0
1
56
1
0
0
0
0
0
57
7
0
0
0
0
1
58
0
0
0
0
0
0
59
57
8
0
10
4
8
60
26
3
0
4
2
4
61
33
5
0
5
2
5
62
0
0
0
0
0
0
63
1
0
0
0
0
0
64
53
7
0
8
3
8
65
10
1
0
1
1
2
66
1
0
0
0
0
0
67
2
0
0
0
0
0
Total
864
76
16
89
38
143
8.8%
1.9%
10.3%
4.4%
16.6%
% of Total
MN Solar
Workforce
1
17

18. Legislative
District
59
Representative
Representative
Senator
Total
Empl.
57
Mullery, Joe
Dehn, Raymond
64
Murphy, Erin
Paymar, Michael
Champion, Bobby
Joe
Cohen, Richard
48
Selcer, Yvonne
Loon, Jenifer
Hann, David W.
50
44
Anderson, Sarah
Benson, John
Bonoff, Terri E.
49
33
Hertaus, Jerry
Pugh, Cindy
Osmek, David J.
47
61
Hornstein, Frank
Thissen, Paul
Dibble, D. Scott
33
38
Runbeck, Linda
Dean, Matt
29
40
Hilstrom, Debra
60
Nelson, Michael
V.
Loeffler, Diane
Chamberlain, Roger
C.
Eaton, Chris A.
Kahn, Phyllis
Dziedzic, Kari
26
21
Kelly, Tim
Drazkowski, Steve
Schmit, Matt
21
31
Daudt, Kurt
Hackbarth, Tom
Benson, Michelle R.
21
3
Dill, David
Murphy, Mary
Bakk, Thomas M.
20
41
Bernardy, Connie
Laine, Carolyn
Goodwin, Barb
20
49
Erhardt, Ron
Rosenthal, Paul
Franzen, Melisa
20
20
Woodard, Kelby
Bly, David
Dahle, Kevin L.
17
53
Ward, JoAnn
Kieffer, Andrea
Kent, Susan
17
15
Erickson, Sondra
Newberger, Jim
Brown, David M.
16
29
McDonald, Joe
O'Neill, Marion
Anderson, Bruce D.
16
37
Newton, Jerry
Sanders, Tim
Johnson, Alice M.
15
13
Howe, Jeff
O'Driscoll, Tim
Fischbach, Michelle
14
42
Yarusso, Barb
Isaacson, Jason
Scalze, Bev
14
2
Erickson, Roger
Green, Steve
Skoe, Rod
12
8
Nornes, Bud
Franson, Mary
Ingebrigtsen, Bill
12
30
Zerwas, Nick
Kiffmeyer, Mary
12
36
Uglem, Mark
FitzSimmons,
David
Hortman, Melissa
Hoffman, John A.
12
50
Slocum, Linda
Lenczewski, Ann
Wiklund, Melissa H.
12
5
Persell, John
Anzelc, Tom
Saxhaug, Tom
11
9
Anderson, Mark
Kresha, Ron
Gazelka, Paul E.
11
34
Peppin, Joyce
Zellers, Kurt
Limmer, Warren
11
51
Masin, Sandra
Halverson, Laurie
Carlson, Jim
11
16
Torkelson, Paul
Dahms, Gary H.
10
25
Swedzinski,
Chris
Quam, Duane
Norton, Kim
Senjem, David H.
10
65
Moran, Rena
Mariani, Carlos
Pappas, Sandra L.
10
6
Melin, Carly
Metsa, Jason
Tomassoni, David J.
9
53
28
18

19. Legislative
District
12
Representative
Representative
Senator
Total
Empl.
9
McNamar, Jay
Anderson, Paul
Westrom, Torrey N.
35
Abeler, Jim
Scott, Peggy
Petersen, Branden
9
55
Beard, Michael
Albright, Tony
Pratt, Eric R.
8
4
Lien, Ben
Marquart, Paul
Eken, Kent
7
10
Ward, John
Radinovich, Joe
Ruud, Carrie
7
11
Sundin, Mike
Faust, Tim
Lourey, Tony
7
17
Falk, Andrew
Sawatzky, Mary
Koenen, Lyle
7
57
Mack, Tara
Wills, Anna
Clausen, Greg D.
7
1
Fabian, Dan
Kiel, Debra
Stumpf, LeRoy A.
6
18
Urdahl, Dean
Gruenhagen, Glenn
Newman, Scott J.
6
39
Dettmer, Bob
Lohmer, Kathy
Housley, Karin
6
19
Johnson, Clark
Brynaert, Kathy
Sheran, Kathy
5
22
Schomacker, Joe
Hamilton, Rod
Weber, Bill
5
23
Gunther, Bob
Cornish, Tony
Rosen, Julie A.
5
27
Savick, Shannon
Poppe, Jeanne
Sparks, Dan
5
52
Hansen, Rick
Atkins, Joe
Metzen, James P.
5
32
Johnson, Brian
Barrett, Bob
Nienow, Sean R.
4
45
Carlson, Sr., Lyndon
Freiberg, Mike
Rest, Ann H.
4
47
Leidiger, Ernie
Hoppe, Joe
Ortman, Julianne E.
4
7
Huntley, Thomas
Simonson, Erik
Reinert, Roger J.
3
24
Petersburg, John
Fritz, Patti
Jensen, Vicki
3
26
Liebling, Tina
Benson, Mike
Nelson, Carla J.
3
28
Pelowski, Jr., Gene
Davids, Greg
Miller, Jeremy R.
3
46
Winkler, Ryan
Simon, Steve
Latz, Ron
2
54
Schoen, Dan
McNamara, Denny
Sieben, Katie
2
67
Mahoney, Tim
Johnson, Sheldon
Hawj, Foung
2
43
Fischer, Peter
Lillie, Leon
Wiger, Charles W.
1
56
Myhra, Pam
Morgan, Will
Hall, Dan D.
1
63
Davnie, Jim
Wagenius, Jean
Torres Ray, Patricia
1
66
Hausman, Alice
Lesch, John
Marty, John
1
14
Theis, Tama
Dorholt, Zachary
Pederson, John C.
0
58
Holberg, Mary Liz
Garofalo, Pat
Thompson, Dave
0
Clark, Karen
Allen, Susan
Hayden, Jeff
62
Total
0
864
19

20. Figure 12: Federal Congressional Districts
Table 2: Federal Congressional Districts
Congress.
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Total
Legislator
Walz, Timothy J.
Kline, John
Paulsen, Erik
McCollum, Betty
Ellison, Keith
Bachmann,
Michele
Peterson, Collin C.
Nolan, Rick
Total Women African
Latino/
Empl.
American Hispanic
58
56
250
165
141
60
1
3
29
19
19
1
2
2
3
2
1
2
1
3
34
22
22
1
Asian/
Pacific
Islander
0
1
15
9
9
1
61
73
864
1
3
76
2
2
16
2
4
89
1
2
38
Veterans
13
14
143
12
11
36
25
20
12
20

21. 4.0 Conclusions
Though a strong solar market has been relatively slow to take hold in the state,
Minnesota now stands at the threshold of an imminent boom in solar installations. Driven
by a host of strong pro-solar policies set to go into effect this year, the state is anticipating
a nearly thirty-fold increase in total installed solar capacity by the end of the decade.
Though the state’s 864 solar workers may seem paltry in comparison with employment in
some of the more dominant solar markets, Minnesota can expect to add a number of new
solar workers commensurate with the predicted increase in installations.
!
The solar employers surveyed for this state Census revealed some notable
information about the training and experience of the workers they hire. For example, solar
companies here place a much greater emphasis on previous related work experience
when seeking new employees. Nearly 71% of solar workers hired in Minnesota over the
previous year had some previous work experience related to the position. By comparison,
only 50% of new hires in the national solar industry required previous work experience,
which is much closer to what was observed in our California and Arizona Census efforts.
While education remains an important qualification for new solar workers, Minnesota
employers appear to prefer workers with an associate’s degree or a certificate from an
accredited college (38.2% of new hires) over those holding a bachelor’s degree or beyond
(14.7%). This is the reverse of what was observed on the national level, where it is more
common for employers to hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree (27.6% of new
workers in 2013) than those with an associate’s degree or certificate (13.1%). More
investigation is required to fully understand the drivers of these differences.
!
Another noteworthy finding from this Minnesota Census was the disproportionately
high representation of veterans of the U.S. Armed Services in the state solar industry.
Approximately one in six Minnesota solar workers (17%) have served in the military,
though statewide, U.S. veterans under 65 (those most likely to be working or seeking
work) only represent 6.4% of the state’s total civilian labor force. The Minnesota solar
industry’s employment of veterans also compares favorably with the national solar
industry as a whole, in which 9.2% of solar workers were found to be former service
members. Identifying the causes behind the relatively high employment rate of veterans in
the state’s solar industry is a subject for further research. However, The Solar Foundation®,
in partnership with the Truman National Security Project’s “Operation Free” campaign,
seeks to take on a related effort—designed to understand how skills developed in military
occupations transfer over to jobs in the solar industry—which may provide some insight
into the factors driving the high veteran employment rate observed in the Minnesota solar
industry.
!
If you find this Minnesota Census to be useful, please don't hesitate to make a tax-deductible donation to
The Solar Foundation®. Each donation, no matter the size, helps us provide credible research that deepens
our understanding of the industry and drives the market.
!
More information at www.TheSolarFoundation.org
21

22. !
5. Appendices
5.1 Data Sources
!
EMSI Data Sources and Calculations
Industry Data
!
In order to capture a complete picture of industry employment, EMSI basically combines covered
employment data from Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) produced by the
Department of Labor with total employment data in Regional Economic Information System
(REIS) published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), augmented with County Business
Patterns (CBP) and Nonemployer Statistics (NES) published by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Projections are based on the latest available EMSI industry data, 15-year past local trends in each
industry, growth rates in statewide and (where available) sub-state area industry projections
published by individual state agencies, and (in part) growth rates in national projections from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
!
State Data Sources
!
This report uses state data from the following agencies: Minnesota Department of Labor
!
!
!
!
!
22

23. 5.2 Data Limitations and Methodology
The Minnesota Solar Jobs Census methodology is most closely aligned with the
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ methodology for its Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages (QCEW) and Current Employment Statistics (CES). Like BLS, this study uses survey
questionnaires and employer-reported data, though ours are administered by phone and
email, as opposed to mail.
!
Also like BLS, we develop a hierarchy of various categories that represent solar
value chain activities (within their broader NAICS framework), develop representative
sample frames, and use statistical analysis and extrapolation in a very similar manner to
BLS. We also constrain our universe of establishments by relying on the most recent data
from the BLS or the state departments of labor, depending on which is collected most
recently. We believe that the categories that we have developed could be readily adopted
by BLS should it choose to begin to quantify solar employment in its QCEW and CES
series.
!
The survey was administered to a known universe of Minnesota solar employers
that includes approximately 86 establishments and is derived from SEIA’s National Solar
Database as well as other public and private sources. Of these establishments, 32
provided information about their solar activities (or lack thereof), and 23 completed full or
substantially completed surveys.
!
The Minnesota survey was also administered to a stratified, clustered, random
sampling from various industries that are potentially solar-related that include a total of
6,666 establishments statewide. After an extensive cleaning and de-duplication process, a
sampling plan was developed that gathered information on the level of solar activity
(including none) from 3,181 establishments. Of these, 116 establishments qualified for
and completed full surveys. This level of sampling rigor provides a margin of error for
establishment counts at +/-1.22% and employment at +/-6.28% at a 95% confidence
interval. For a more complete description of the methodology, please see the National
Solar Jobs Census 2013 available at www.TSFcensus.org.
!
The figures provided in this report are estimates based on surveys administered only
to employers in installation, manufacturing, sales and distribution, project development
and “other” establishments in research and development, legal services, finance and
accounting, academia, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other ancillary
employers that do solar work. Data for the “other” category do not capture all jobs or
establishments in the category. Although some “other” establishments are included in the
Known Universe, accounting, legal, finance, and other ancillary establishments spend
only a very small portion of their time on solar activities. Thus, full inclusion would lead
to inflated employment counts.
!
23

24. 5.3 Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Are these "Direct Jobs" only?
Direct, indirect, and induced are terms intended to explain the various levels of
economic activity that result from changes to an economy. These figures, generated by
economic modeling exercises, are best applied to specific projects rather than entire
industries. For example, a utility scale solar project would have a certain number of
people working on the construction of the plant (direct), the workers who manufacture
and deliver the goods (indirect), and support the local economy by increasing the
spending on goods and services, such as restaurants, gas stations, and retail
establishments (induced). Census data includes most of the direct and indirect jobs in the
solar industry, with the exception of some indirect jobs in the component and materials
supply chain.
2.
How does your methodology compare with the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
The Census methodology is most closely aligned with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’
methodology for its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) and Current
Employment Statistics (CES).
Like BLS, this study uses survey questionnaires and
employer-reported data, though ours are administered by phone and email, as opposed to
mail. Also like BLS, we develop a hierarchy of various categories that represent solar
value chain activities (within their broader NAICS framework), develop representative
sample frames, and use statistical analysis and extrapolation in a very similar manner to
BLS. We also constrain our universe of establishments by relying on the most recent data
from the BLS or the state departments of labor, depending on which is collected most
recently. We believe that the categories that we have developed could be readily adopted
by BLS should it choose to begin to quantify solar employment in its QCEW and CES
series.
3.
How is a solar worker defined?
A "solar worker" is defined as those workers who spend at least 50% of their time
supporting solar-related activities. This definition helps to avoid the over-counting that is
inherent in methods that count every single job in terms of FTEs or job hours. For
example, although BLS does not yet quantify solar jobs, they count other types of
occupations by counting every single job separately regardless of hours or fraction of time
actually spent on the job. As a result, according to the BLS, someone with three part-time
jobs yields three jobs. Although the BLS and others consider our methodology to be the
emerging standard for tracking jobs they do not yet track, critics of our methodology claim
a 50% definition causes jobs to be over counted. However, the reality is that over 90% of
those who meet our definition of a solar worker in 2013 actually spend 100% of their
time supporting solar-related activities.9 Because the Census covers sectors directly related
9
In Minnesota, this figure is 81%.
24

25. to new installed solar capacity and the sectors that support these efforts, jobs figures are
best thought of as covering direct and indirect jobs.
4.
What is the minimum education necessary to enter the solar job field?
While there exist entry-level positions for individuals interested in entering certain
solar job fields, there is not always an immediate pathway into these jobs. Of the
employers who participated in the Minnesota Solar Jobs Census, 71% indicated that they
look for previous related experience in the solar workers they hire. In addition, over 38%
noted they require at least an associate’s degree or certificate from an accredited college
and approximately 15% seek workers with a bachelor’s degree or beyond. Those
interested in beginning a career in the solar industry can learn more about the education,
experience, and skills required for these jobs by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Solar Career Map at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/careermap.
!
More FAQs about the Census methodology and national results are available in the
National Solar Jobs Census 2013, available at www.TSFcensus.org.
!
!
25

26. !
6. Solar Employment in Other States
Due to the immense investment of time and funding required to do so accurately
with a survey-based methodology, the Census report series does not directly provide
estimates of solar employment in each of the 50 states. In early 2013, The Solar
Foundation® published its first-ever State Solar Jobs Map (www.solarstates.org), an
interactive, web-based tool presenting the most credible estimates of state-level jobs
currently known. These figures were internally generated by The Solar Foundation® with
technical assistance from the Solar Energy Industries Association’s Research Department
using thousands of data points from a combination of high-quality sources, including
survey results from National Solar Jobs Census Series and the Solar Energy Industries
Association’s “National Solar Database.”
!
These state employment figures were produced using a carefully developed dual
methodology—one for installation and construction jobs and another for distributed
generation and non-installation jobs. In brief, method one employed labor intensity
multipliers developed internally and cross checked with leading studies on the subject,
while method two was based not only on a direct count of solar workers, but also the
average number of jobs per solar establishment and total number of establishments in
each state. The final state totals provided are the rounded average of our high and low
estimates.
!
Updated state-level employment estimates were made available through The Solar
Foundation’s® State Solar Jobs Map website (www.solarstates.org) on February 11th,
2014.
26

27. !
Copyright Notice
!
Unless otherwise noted, all design, text, graphics, and the selection and arrangement
thereof are Copyright February 2014 by The Solar Foundation® and BW Research
Partnership. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials in this report, including
reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication, without the prior written
consent of The Solar Foundation® and BW Research Partnership, is strictly prohibited.
!
!
Please cite this publication when referencing this material as “Minnesota Solar Jobs
Census 2013, The Solar Foundation, available at: www.TSFcensus.org.”