Climate Adaptation

U.S. Solar Workforce Could Be Halved By Virus, Group Says

Lockdowns crimp rooftop panel demand and door-to-door sales
Industry had forecast strong 2020 job growth before outbreak

A worker unpacks solar panels at the Connexus Energy Athens Township solar-plus-storage project site in Athens Township, Minnesota, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. Connexus Energy Athens Township project integrates large scale battery storage with a solar array to manage peak demand and is the first commercial-battery deployment in Minnesota.Photographer: Ari Lindquist/Bloomberg

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By Brian Eckhouse

March 23, 2020 at 7:54 PM UTC

Updated on

March 24, 2020 at 7:09 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The leading U.S. solar-trade group is warning the fallout from the coronavirus could slash the industry’s workforce in half.

The Solar Energy Industries Association made the projection Monday as part of a campaign to convince Congress to make the federal tax credit for the sector refundable or payable directly to businesses and customers.