On December 8th, 2011 the Tennessee Solar Institute (TSI, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.) released a report which estimates that 6,400 residents of Tennessee are employed in the solar industry and related industries, with the majority of growth in small businesses.

"Tennesee's Solar Value Chain: A Workforce Development Needs Assessment" claims to be the first comprehensive look at the U.S. state's solar industry. TSI states that it will use the study to assess strategic options to support this industry in Tennessee.

“With companies old and new investing and innovating, the solar sector is putting some of our 297,000 unemployed Tennesseans back to work, while growing our state’s economy and capturing a bigger slice of the $240 billion global clean energy market,” said TSI Director of Programs John Sanseverino, Ph.D.

33 new solar industry companies since 2008

The report identifies more than 200 organizations in Tennessee's solar industry, including 174 for-profit and 62 non-profit entities. The organization further states that since 2008, 33 new entrants have joined the state's solar value chain, including 15 companies in 2010.

TSI notes that in addition to start-ups, well-established companies are diversifying into solar markets.

Notable examples include the Sharp Electronics factory in Memphis, Tennessee which switched from making TVs and microwaves to assembling solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in 2000, as well as Shoals Technology Group (Portland, Tennessee), which switched from making auto parts to plug and play solutions for PV plants.

However, the majority of growth is coming from small businesses, with 58% of the firms in Tennessee's solar value chain employing 25 persons or less.

Tennessee, North Carolina bright spots for solar in U.S. South

Tennessee's growing solar industry is particularly notable as the state is far from the largest U.S. solar markets in California, the Northeast and the Southwest. The U.S. South has few states with binding renewable energy targets, and most states in the region have under-developed solar industries.

However, Tennessee, neighboring North Carolina, Florida and Texas are emerging as exceptions to those trends, with growing PV capacities and policies to encourage market growth.

2011-12-14| Courtesy: Tennessee Solar Institute | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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