Solar energy is also the leader in terms of total employment (7.1 million people). On the one hand, this is due to accelerated commissioning of solar panels: in 2023, they accounted for 73% of the global commissioning of RES capacity (345.5 GW out of 473.4 GW). However, a long value chain is equally important: silicon, silver, plastic, glass and other materials are used in the production of solar panels.
In the coming years, this list will be replenished with solar panel recycling companies. For this purpose, in particular, high-temperature pyrolysis will be used to separate silicon, copper and silver from the solar cell glass. Reuse of these materials will not only save the costs, but also reduce emissions: production of 1 kg of silicon results in emission of 50 kg of CO2, which is higher than for aluminum, titanium and magnesium.
The value chain is also expanding in wind energy, where plastics and metal producers are among the main suppliers. For example, timber producer Stora Enso and wood processing company Modvion have started using laminated veneer lumber (LVL) for production of wind turbine towers. This approach solves the transportation problem. The base diameter of standard steel towers often exceeds the width of the road, whereas LVL towers are delivered to the place of future operation in a disassembled form. After the delivery, the tower parts are glued together to avoid loosening of bolts. When assembled, LVL towers are able to support their own weight that adds to the stability of the entire structure.
One of the major employers is also the bioenergy industry employing 3.9 million people worldwide. This includes producers and processors of agricultural raw materials, as well as employees of power plants using a variety of fuels, from sugar cane waste and the fruit of the African croton tree to biogas from cow dung. This biogas is produced with anaerobic digestion technology: when oxygen is unavailable, organic matter is broken down into fatty acids, alcohols and ammonia which are converted by methane-producing bacteria into a gaseous mixture with a high methane content.
Employment in hydropower and all other RES sectors reached 3.1 million people by the end of 2023.
