Last year was a big one for the solar roofing industry with the renewal of federal tax credits and the announcement of Tesla’s ‘solar shingle.’ And while many are excited about the prospects of solar, there are many roofing contractors still leery of incorporating it into their business model for reasons, including cost and regulatory concerns. Roofing Contractor recently asked Aaron Nitzkin, founder and CEO of Solar Roof Dynamics, about the benefits of incorporating the emerging trend into their roofing business and what they should be prepared for.
Today, solar represents the fastest growing energy source in the United States. While it still represents less than one percent of the total energy produced in the U.S., the industry employs 209,000 Americans (versus the coal industry that employs 110,000 people but represents approximately 30 percent of our energy production). By 2021, the Solar Energy Industry Association estimates that the number of people working in the U.S. solar industry will increase 70 percent to 360,000. As for installed capacity, an estimated 14 Gigawatts of solar energy was commissioned in the U.S. in 2016, which represents an 85 percent increase over 2015. If you assume an average panel size of 285 watts, this translates into over 49 million solar panels installed in the U.S. last year.