Employment effects of renewable energy deployment - a review

Abstract

The paper investigates a central hypothesis of the green economy concept which states that transitioning to a low-carbon economy is justified on an economic basis. We analyse this hypothesis by focussing on employment effects from renewable energy deployment, based on an evaluation of impact studies from peer-reviewed journals. The studies are categorised according to employment factors or model-based scenario assessments on employment effects from renewable policies. The applied methodologies and the type of employment effects-direct, indirect, induced, gross, net-are distinguished. Given the heterogeneity of assumptions, the results are hardly comparable, although we find that a majority of the investigated scenarios show positive net employment effects. The positive link between renewable energy deployment and job creation is, however, not straightforward, as different assumptions, system boundaries and modelled interactions such as the crowding out of alternative energy production or effects from prices, income and foreign trade influence the results.

Marine Renewable Energy in the Mediterranean Sea: Status and Perspectives

“…Employment is a field (positively) affected by MRE production [249,250]. MRE industry creates new jobs during all stages of a MRE project and reskills opportunities for people affected by economic restructuring.…”

The Transition to Renewable Energy Technologies—Impact on Economic Performance of North Rhine-Westphalia

“…In fact, when a low export scenario (a detailed description of international trade scenarios is given in Lehr et al [15] where projections are based on surveyed market shares of 2007) is assumed, they even find a negative net impact. Meyer and Sommer [21] review several net employment effect studies, concluding that these are hardly comparable because of the complexity of their set of assumptions, methodologies, system boundaries, and policy scenarios. In particular, for the outcome of such analyses, they highlight the importance of dynamism of the RET sector (w.r.t.…”

Solar and Wind Energy: An Alternative Solution for the Problem of Jobless Economic Growth in Turkey

“…The employment potential of renewable energy sources is estimated generally as ⁄ . In this regard, Meyer and Sommer (2014) indicated that PV employment factors in the literature ranged from 28 jobs/MW to 55 jobs/MW depending on the geographical area and wind employment factor ranged from 8 jobs/MW to 13 jobs/MW, while Greenpeace, GWEC and EREC estimated the employment factor (PV, solar heat and solar thermal) as nearly 40 jobs/MW for the solar industry and 27 jobs/MW for the wind industry (just onshore). On the other hand, Cetin and Egritas (2011) accepted the employment factor in the solar industry as 37-46 jobs/MW for Turkey.…”