How solar changed everything

While wind energy got their foot in the door of the clean energy marketplace, it’s been solar that has truly changed the company. EVS, Inc. performs the civil engineering for solar gardens and utility-scale solar sites that could be as large as 500 megawatts or around 2,000 acres of land. From surveying the land for high and low points and deciding where to include roadways and the height of critical electrical equipment, their work is increasingly important as solar sites get bigger across the country. This new path for the company has led to a tripling of their workforce.

“Prior to our work in the solar market about five years ago, our company was always hovering around 20-25 staff. And then once we got into solar, we started this growth stage where we were adding almost a person a month for the last two to three years now. It’s actually just a crazy whirlwind as we try and keep up with what’s happening in the solar energy movement,” Andy explains.

EVS, Inc.’s growth trajectory parallels with the industry as a whole. According to the 2019 Clean Jobs Midwest Report, the renewables sector grew nearly 12 percent last year, representing the highest growth rate in the Midwest. Solar makes up the majority of clean energy jobs in Minnesota, employing some 4,917 people or about 60 percent of renewable energy jobs.