With solar energy only accounting for roughly two percent of the world’s electricity, it would be fair to assume that big utility companies have nothing to worry about. But you might be surprised to find out that isn’t the case.

Making the switch to solar has always been a great opportunity for those looking for a reliable source of renewable energy and ways to save on their energy bill.

While using the energy you create from your solar photovoltaic (PV) system can help decrease the amount of energy you pull from the grid, net metering can also help increase your savings by receiving a credit for the excess energy you produce from your utility company.

Now that your solar panels are producing clean, renewable energy, there are a few items on your monthly utility bill that you may want to pay attention to depending on what state and local programs apply to your solar installation.

As a consumer, making informed decisions on how to minimize your energy costs is important to you, and understanding how you’re charged by your utility is a crucial step in getting the most out of your dollar.

Once a month, your utility company sends an invoice requesting a specified amount for the energy and services you’ve used. Many gloss over the information provided in the bill, but even if you were to comb through it diligently, would you be able to fully understand what’s there? There are plenty of benefits to taking a closer look at how you’re being charged for the energy you use, and some of those benefits might lead to savings.

The fastest-growing job market in America

Solar jobs have been on a rapid rise over the last decade in the United States, with an increase of over 167 percent in that time period. Between 2018-2019, the solar workforce added more than 5,600 jobs nationwide, bringing the national total to just under 250,000 solar workers in America. In the past five years, solar employment has risen five times faster than overall job growth in the U.S. economy.

With nearly 250,000 jobs in the U.S., solar energy is one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the country, offering a variety of positions with a wide range of compensation and benefits.

We’ve known that the U.S. solar industry has been one of America’s premier job-creating machines. Last year alone, the sector added 5,600 jobs, bringing the total number of Americans working in solar to roughly 250,000. But what does the solar industry workforce look like?

Location. Location. Location.

10 States (California, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada) make up more than half of the United States’ solar jobs. California leads all states with almost 75,000 of the nearly 250,000 solar industry jobs in the U.S. If you’re looking for a career in the solar industry and don’t live in one of those states, don’t worry because many other states are following closely behind. Georgia, Florida, Utah, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Indiana, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Illinois all saw double-digit job growth over the previous year—with Georgia leading the way with a whopping 29.8 percent job growth.

Unlike other large-scale energy production sources, solar energy has minimal drawbacks and many significant benefits. However, there are several often-overlooked benefits that solar can provide.