616-786-2500 U.S. Solar Companies
Whittaker Associates is offering 10 copies of the international and U.S. solar companies lists to its clients and friends. These lists can be purchased individually or together for a discounted price.
About the list
A total of 125 companies are included in this list. These 125 companies are spread across 28 different states in the country. California, with 25 companies, has the highest representation in the list followed by Arizona(11), New York(9), and Michigan(8).
The map below shows the concentration of the Solar companies in the list at the state level:
US Solar Companies Mapped
Source: Whittaker Associates, Inc. – U.S. Solar Companies
Each of the companies in the list have a minimum of 10 employees. Our focus for this list was PV modules/solar cell manufacturers, solar mounting system suppliers, solar glass and component manufacturers, cell manufacturing equipment companies, and utility-scale project developers. An average company in this list will have sales of around $9 million and 90 employees.
The chart below shows the distribution of the companies by employment size:
Source: Whittaker Associates, Inc. – U.S. Solar Companies
The list was compiled by reviewing various trade journals to identify the top players in the U.S. solar market. We reviewed the company’s website, press releases, and news events to determine whether the company is, in fact, directly in the solar business.
Other key facts about the U.S. Solar Companies list:
- Of the 54 companies for which we found employment change numbers, 63% have positive employment growth, with one company growing by a stellar 4400% in a year in employment and 9200% in sales.
- The average age of a company in the solar list is 12 years, or, on average, the companies in this list were founded in 1998.
- 79% of the companies in the list are privately owned.
- 82% of the HQ facilities of companies in this list are leased (rented) and the average size of the facility is 28,000-square-foot.
- At least one email address is available for 49% of the companies in the list.
If you wish to make a payment by check or have any further questions about this list, please contact Jami Miedema at Whittaker Associates, Inc.
Why Solar?
The solar industry in the U.S. has become one of the strongest job creators in the country. With over 17,000 direct jobs added in 2009, and a further 14,000 estimated to be added in 2010, it is one of the few industries to grow during the great recession of 2008-2009.
According to Solar Energy Industry Association, at year-end 2009, the U.S. had 2,108 megawatts (MW) of installed solar electric capacity. This included about 1,676 MW of photovoltaics (PV), 432 MW of utility-scale concentrating solar power, and at least 24,000 MWTh (megawatts thermal equivalent) of solar water heating, cooling, and solar pool heating systems. Installations have been on the rise since 2005 when the solar industry took off in the country. The chart below shows the growth of solar electric installations in the U.S.
Source: SEIA, U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review 2009 – Supplemental charts
Further proof that the solar industry is one of the most active sectors is given by an analysis of Conway Data. Conway tracks new and expanded project announcements globally and is one of the most commonly used sources to track project activity.
A total of 30 new projects and 17 expansions of solar product manufacturing facilities were recorded by Conway Data in 2009. These projects resulted in $4.6 billion in investment and created approximately 8,000 new jobs. The chart below shows the growth of solar projects in the U.S. since 2003.
Along with the number of projects, the number of jobs created by the industry has also increased dramatically over the last seven years. While there were just four projects creating 635 jobs in 2003 in the country, in 2009 there were 47 projects creating around 8,000 jobs. The chart below shows the progression of jobs created by the solar industry in the U.S.
For further information, read our recent blog post by Vidhan Rana about activity of international solar companies in the United States. For information regarding site selection factors for the solar and wind industry, read our recent blog posting by Jami Miedema.
