Women in Solar: Key Facts, Statistics, and Trends

Over the past decade, the solar industry has experienced significant growth and innovation, becoming a pivotal player in the global push towards renewable energy solutions.

We've seen the role of women in the solar industry start to expand, a trend visible in other traditionally male-dominated industries. From solar installers to solar marketers and educators, women are present in every aspect of the solar field and are shaping the future of renewable energy.

After reviewing industry data and speaking with multiple women in the solar space, we highlight the triumphs and setbacks of the industry and how we can continue to make solar more equitable. 

Industry statistics for women in solar in 2025

To gain an understanding of the latest data on women and other minority groups working throughout the solar industry, we reviewed the following:

• 2023 IREC Solar Jobs Census

• 2024 U.S. Energy & Employment Jobs Report (USEER)

• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2024

Percentage of women in the U.S. solar workforce steadily increasing

According to the most recent IREC Solar Jobs Census, women accounted for 30% of the U.S. solar workforce, with an estimated 82,850 female workers. That’s a 23% increase from 2018, when just 63,806 women worked in solar. 

The industry saw an uptick in female workers in 2020, even though the coronavirus pandemic caused the industry as a whole to contract. Since then, that number has continued to steadily increase. 

Despite the number of women increasing, the proportion of women that make up the solar workforce has remained relatively the same, increasing just three percentage points from 2018 to 2023, suggesting there is still work to be done in bringing more women into various roles in the industry. 

Sue McKeen has been an employee of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for over a decade and has firsthand experience seeing an increase in women gaining certifications in the solar field. 

"Every time a woman passed [the certification test] – we would all get excited because, you know, back 14 years ago, there weren't as many women in the industry as there are today," Mckeen said. "I've seen a huge rise in women in the industry since I started."

Popular job positions among women in the solar industry

Although we’ve been seeing an increase in women working in the solar industry, job roles among females are still a bit uneven. According to the 2024 IRENA Renewable Energy and Jobs Review, women have a stronger presence in administrative and non-technical positions, with 55% of these positions in the off-grid solar sector being held by women. 

Additional data from IRENA’s annual review unveiled the following about the global off-grid solar sector:

• 24% of STEM-related positions are held by women (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

• 22% of non-STEM technical positions are women (solar policy, procurement experts, etc.)

• 18% of managerial positions are held by women

• 15% of senior management positions are held by women

Riley Neugebauer, a former solar installer and Work Force Development Specialist for the Colorado Energy Office spoke on belonging to the lower percentage of female installers.

“It can be challenging day-to-day for a lot of reasons. Just keep your determination, keep your head up, and connect with other women,” Neugebauer said.

Women in solar outpace women in other trades

Solar is undoubtedly a male-dominated field. However, data shows that there’s a higher percentage of women in solar than there are in other trades.

A standout statistic is the number of women employed in the solar installation and project management sector compared to women in construction-related fields. About 30% of solar’s installation workforce is female, while just nearly 11% of the construction workforce is female – showing that solar is outpacing other male-dominated trades for women. 

Data also reveals that the solar industry employs a higher percentage of women in the wholesale trade, operations and maintenance, and manufacturing sectors compared to women in similar roles across the broader U.S. workforce.

Solar employs a higher percentage of women globally than other energy industries

Not only are women choosing solar over other trades – but over other energy industries, too! Internationally, women comprise 40% of the full-time positions in the PV solar industry. IRENA’s Annual Review reveals that the oil and gas workforce is 22% female, and the wind industry’s workforce is 21% female. 

A report by the Department of Energy reveals that women are more highly represented in the U.S. solar electric power generation workforce at 30% compared to the overall energy workforce at 26%. However, that’s still a much lower representation than in the national workforce, where 47% of workers are female, suggesting there is still more work to do to fill the gap. 

Women in solar: From their perspective

SolarReviews had the pleasure of speaking with women from different areas within the solar industry to gain firsthand knowledge of their experiences working in the industry,

Riley Neugebauer – Workforce Development Specialist, Colorado Energy Office; Founder, Solar For Women

Riley Neugebauer is no stranger to the world of solar and renewable energy. When starting her career, she worked with students on college campuses to urge universities to buy clean energy solutions for their communities. Since then, she's worked in several areas of the renewable energy industry – including photovoltaic (PV) installation – which she recounted as her favorite part of her career thus far. 

“You feel like ‘wow we really did this,’ and you see the progress and see the outcome really quickly,” Neugebauer said. “I just have never had any other type of work like that really, so it’s very fulfilling in that sense.”

After tackling installation, Neugebauer moved on to the title of Workforce Development Specialist for the Colorado Energy Office. Here, she is working on a workforce development plan for Colorado Solar For All, a low-income solar program. 

“Solar For All is for disproportionately impacted communities, so we use that as a lens when we're thinking about [where to deploy] the workforce,” Neugebauer said. 

Riley also founded the online resource known as SolarforWomen.com, where women in the industry can connect and empower one another. Neugebauer has also been working closely with the University of Colorado Legal Clinic to make Solar For Women an official non-profit. 

Sue Mckeen – Business Manager, NABCEP

Sue Mckeen has contributed over a decade of hard work to the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), a high-regarded certification and licensing organization in solar. 

Despite having no prior experience in solar, this opportunity came to her by working her way up in the industry. Starting at NABCEP as an office administrator, Sue eventually became a Business Manager position. In this position, she plays a huge part in the organization's annual Continuing Education Conference, which has grown to gain over 1,000 attendees from all areas of the industry.

"We want people to leave the conference with more knowledge than they came with," Mckeen said, "So if we do that, we feel it was successful."

Karla Loeb – Owner, Loeb Consulting; Board of Directors, SEIA

Karla Loeb considers herself a veteran in the solar world – with an impressive track record to show for it. With well over a decade in the clean energy space, Loeb has worked closely in government affairs and has been a big advocate for passing new legislation for renewables. Currently serving as the At-large Director for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Loeb has proved herself as a force to be reckoned with.

“My internal drive was related to being of service – and not necessarily that service to be acknowledged by anybody, but just to be of service,” Loeb said.

Loeb was able to recall her disdain for the lack of programs in place for low-income households in New York that would help them gain access to renewables. In efforts to change that, she worked closely with state legislators, the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the Public Utilities Commission to rethink the power grid in New York – an achievement that really set the stage for her career.

“After two years of banging drums, knocking on doors, and stomping through the halls of the legislature, the Public Utilities Commission started allocating funds for low-income solar programs,” Loeb said.

This is just one example of the many accomplishments Loeb was able to share. She has had a hand in many important pieces of legislation that advocate for renewable energy and solar-friendly initiatives, including the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Sherren Harter – Vice President of Marketing, Freedom Solar

Sherren Harter is the Vice President of Marketing for Freedom Solar, a solar company that offers residential and commercial solar installations to all of Texas and Florida – and services existing customers in Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Harter’s marketing team specializes in marketing strategies, brand management, and partnerships.

“This particular company – more than anywhere else – I feel like I, and the people I work with, show up as our authentic selves,” Harter said. “That being said, to be a woman in this environment takes strength of will, a sense of humor, and to be able to hold your own.”

Solar sales and marketing have observed many challenges in recent years when the industry as a whole was in rough shape. Harter elaborated on navigating her team through the ups and downs of the solar industry. She stressed that she never wanted her team to hide away during the bad times and to take the industry struggles head-on.

“The high of succeeding in solar is so strong and powerful that it makes it worth it,” Harter said. 

Resources for women in solar

For those looking to, or currently work in the solar industry – there are educational programs, courses, and training available to women worldwide!

The importance of DEIA initiatives in the solar industry

While we've seen a rise in the number of women employed in the solar industry, strategies to close the gender diversity gap are essential to making solar even more equitable. According to the 2023 Solar Jobs Census, 33% of solar firms offer DEIA training programs – a 6% increase from the previous year! 

However, this still means that a majority of solar firms do not have diversity programs, with companies telling IREC they don’t hire for diversity, but for skill. Responses to IREC also suggest that referrals are a top hiring strategy, which can be useful, but it does narrow the pool of who has access to solar jobs. Some stated that lack of resources also makes it difficult to implement DEIA strategies. 

Even a slight increase in DEIA programs is notable, but the current political climate could bring this progress to a screeching halt. The Trump Administration has not only laid off a substantial number of workers, it's also attacked diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs. By dismantling DEIA efforts, women will likely need to fight even harder to make their way in the male-dominated energy spaces, even though they’re just as qualified. 

Final thoughts

The substantial rise in the number of women working in the solar industry proves that it is a viable and rewarding career option for women.

More women are employed in the solar industry than in any other renewable energy sector globally, which speaks volumes to the growing diversity in this field. We aspire to see more women in leadership and upper management positions in the near future, and we’re hopeful the gap will close in installation and STEM-related fields.

There has been a significant increase in DEI programs offered by solar companies, and we hope to see that number continue to rise in the years to come to ensure that the solar industry upholds the reputation of being a safe and inclusive workplace environment for all. 

Our featured women in solar continue to inspire others for their contributions to the solar and renewable energy industries. 

Being in the [solar] industry and around the people of the industry has made my life very happy.

Sue McKeen

|

Business Manager

| NABCEP

I didn’t know I was going to end up here, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s been a labor of love and frustration and a lot of hard work, but I’m really proud of how far we’ve come.

Karla Loeb

|

Board of Directors

| SEIA

Knowing that I’m creating something that’s pretty maintenance-free and that’s a good investment for people feels good to me – and knowing that it’s dealing with climate at the same time is really great.

Riley Neugebauer

|

Workforce Development Specialist

| Colorado Energy Office

Solar, you know, once you’ve got a taste of it, it’s really hard to want to do anything else.

Sherren Harter

|

Vice President of Marketing

| Freedom Solar