SolarPower Europe says EU solar and battery storage industries together supported nearly 1 million jobs in 2025
Solar deployment accounted for 85% of solar employment, while Germany, Spain, and Italy together represented almost half of the EU solar workforce
Battery storage emerged as a significant source of employment in the EU in 2025
Solar and battery storage industries supported nearly one million jobs in the European Union (EU) in 2025, according to SolarPower Europe’s EU Solar Jobs Report 2026.
The bloc’s solar sector supported 874,000 jobs, while battery storage added another 108,000, bringing total employment across the two sectors to 982,000 jobs. Solar employment grew by 1%, twice the 0.5% increase in overall EU employment.
Jobs in the solar sector rose from 865,000 in 2024. The report attributed this improvement to stronger-than-expected deployment, with installations reaching 69 GW in 2025, up from SolarPower Europe’s previous estimate of 64 GW. Note that the association had projected a 5% contraction (826,000 jobs) in 2025 (see EU Solar Jobs Hit Record 865,000 But Decline Looms).
With an 85% share, most EU solar jobs are in deployment, followed by 9% in operations and maintenance (O&M), 4% in manufacturing, and 2% in decommissioning and recycling. Within the manufacturing segment, which accounted for 37,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, employment was affected by international competition, factory closures, and low utilization rates. Inverter production accounted for 90% of manufacturing employment.
Germany was the EU’s largest solar employment market, with around 165,000 jobs, narrowly ahead of Spain, followed by Italy with close to 85,000 jobs. Together, the three countries accounted for almost half of Europe’s solar workforce. The report also places France, Romania, and Poland among the bloc's other large solar employment markets.
SolarPower Europe expects EU solar employment to decline to 766,000 FTEs by 2030 from a record 874,000 in 2025, mainly due to slower growth in new solar installations and higher productivity in deployment. Analysts stress that the decline is not expected to indicate a contraction of the solar industry, but rather a shift toward a more mature market.
The report also identified rising curtailment, more frequent negative electricity prices and limited deployment of flexibility solutions among challenges for the sector.
“This report shows how much is now at stake,” said SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger. “If deployment slows and flexibility challenges remain unresolved, Europe risks not only weakening a key source of energy security and resilience, but also solar’s significant potential for job creation.”
The report expects other segments of the solar sector to grow. O&M employment is expected to rise from 78,000 to 109,000 FTEs as the EU solar fleet expands from 411 GW to 739 GW by 2030.
Manufacturing jobs may rise from 37,000 to 49,000, provided industrial projects are successfully delivered. Decommissioning and recycling may go up from 16,000 to 30,000 by 2030. Deployment will remain the largest source of jobs, accounting for 76% of the workforce, while other value-chain activities will collectively account for almost a quarter of solar employment, reads the report.
Michael Schmela, Executive Advisor and Director of Market Intelligence at SolarPower Europe, highlighted the need to prepare the workforce for the changing requirements of Europe’s solar market. He called for greater focus on solar skills, training, and reskilling as part of Europe’s industrial and competitiveness agenda.
The report also urged faster electrification and deployment of flexibility solutions, along with expanded training and apprenticeship opportunities.
It is the first time that SolarPower Europe has covered battery storage segment jobs in the report. This segment already supports 108,000 jobs across manufacturing, deployment, O&M, and end-of-life activities.
Deployment accounted for the bulk of BESS employment, supporting around 90,000 FTE jobs, or 84% of the 108,000-strong workforce. O&M added about 8,000 jobs, while decommissioning and recycling accounted for another 2,000. Together, downstream activities represented 93% of total BESS employment, while manufacturing contributed around 7,000 jobs, or 7%.
SolarPower Europe also highlighted that stationary storage accounted for only 12% or 4,000 of direct FTE employment in EU battery cell production and module and pack assembly, while the electric vehicle (EV) segment accounted for 79% of total direct employment.
The complete report is available for free download on SolarPower Europe’s website.
