The solar industry is growing. Are you keeping up?

Despite the growing popularity of solar energy as a green technology, there are still relatively few solar jobs in the U.S. However, of the estimated 100,000 solar jobs reported by the Solar Census of 2011, one quarter of them are in California — a total of 25,575.

As one might expect, California is not only the largest employer for solar energy jobs, but the Golden State is also the largest consumer of solar energy. According to the Solar Jobs Census, California ranked first in producers of solar energy from both solar panels and concentrated solar systems.

Over a 12-month period ending in August 2011, the solar industry grew 6.8%, compared to the dismally low national job growth of less than one percent. With California innovation and government subsidies, the solar industry is expected to continue growing exponentially compared to overall job growth in the U.S.

first tuesday take: Despite the recent discomfiture suffered by the solar industry (read: the Solyndra debacle), the numbers do not lie. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S., particularly in California.

The symbiosis between the solar energy industry and the real estate industry is self evident. New residential construction starts are still stagnant, but some growth, whether it be in single family residences (SFRs) or multifamily housing, is inevitable as the population grows (we are now seven billion strong).

When construction does pick up in the future, builders will be looking for every subsidy they can get. This means real estate brokers and agents will need to be skilled at selling homes equipped with solar energy. Learn how to market and sell a solar home — two skills that take time and effort to develop. Start now by taking a look at this selection of first tuesday’s green energy articles:

• A property’s energy demands: an evolving factor in marketing;
• Solar energy simplified, a SAVE for everyone;
• A green addendum for every green appraisal;
• Energy mortgages: monthly savings take you from red to green;
• Energy-efficiency in the home: Not just for hippies; and
• Solar energy’s darker side stirs concerns.

re: “California has 1 in 4 U.S. solar energy jobs, study says” from the Mercury News