'Green New Deal must mean Renewable Energy Jobs Bonanza' Solarcentury founder tells Government
Speaking at the Prime Minister's Jobs Summit, Solarcentury Executive Chairman Jeremy Leggett said that "We went into the first phase of green industrialisation even as the global financial crisis broke. So, as far as renewable energy and energy efficiency are concerned, we have a substantial opportunity to work with the grain when it comes to the Green New Deal. With the right policies, solar and other industries can create hundreds of thousands of jobs surprisingly quickly, not in the distant future, but now."
On current trends, employment in the UK solar energy sector will rise into the thousands but the potential is far greater if the government can work quickly to implement positive support mechanisms. The government estimates that solar photovoltaic [PV] energy could provide more electricity per year than the proposed Severn Tidal Barrage and to a quicker timescale, however the industry needs clear and consistent support in order for this to become a working reality.
To find out more about working in solar energy, listen to Solarcentury employees talking about their daily life on The Guardian website.