The Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) Model

NREL’s Jobs and Economic Development Impacts Model

HOW MANY JOBS ARE THERE IN THE DOMESTIC 

SMALL WIND INDUSTRY?

Suzanne Tegen • National Renewable Energy Laboratory • Golden, Colorado

Small Wind JEDI Model Status

Objectives

Small Wind Installers Conference | June 17-19, 2013 | Stevens Point, WI | NREL/PO-5000-58878 

Who Cares About Jobs?

How You Can Help

References

Objectives

The goal of this work is to provide a model that estimates jobs and other economic effects associated with the domestic small wind industry. 

This poster estimates small wind jobs and shows the geographic diversity of the supply chain in the United States.

• Verify model’s validity with developers, project 

owners, manufacturers, and counties

• Test the model

• Facilitate peer review process

• Issue user guides

• Publish the model online 

• Manage and maintain models

NREL’s Role in JEDI Model Development

• Model is currently in development

• Four turbine size categories include:

 1 kilowatt (kW) to 2.4 kW

 2.5 kW to 10 kW

 10.1 kW to 50 kW

 50.1 kW to 100 kW

• Supply chain and manufacturing jobs vary by turbine size and 

state

• Default inputs and assumptions come from recent projects

and industry interviews

• Better data = a better model...Actual project data helps 

end users calculate more accurate estimates

• NREL needs data on turbines between 1 and 100 kW, 

including:

 Capital costs for small wind turbine(s)

 Installation labor costs

 Permitting costs and labor

 Operation and maintenance and labor costs

 Whether parts and labor are local

Note: Data will not be made public. Cost and labor 

ranges may be provided instead of a dollar amount

Contact: Suzanne Tegen at the SWC or at NREL

Suzanne.Tegen@nrel.gov

JEDI Models can be downloaded at www.nrel.gov/analysis/jedi

Photo by Cross Island Farms, NREL 19923

• Free input-output tool to 

estimate employment and 

other impacts that result 

from an investment in small

wind installations

• Default inputs are from 

installers and industry 

experts and are based on 

existing projects

• User input can be minimal 

(use defaults) or very 

detailed for more precise 

results

JEDI can help: 

• Evaluate potential scenarios 

current or future

• Inform stakeholders and 

decision makers

• Assist businesses in:

–Identifying potential 

customers

–Evaluating economic 

development efforts

• Assist government 

organizations with:

–Planning and evaluating

–Community development

Your friends and neighbors employed in the small wind industry, 

state and federal policy-makers, local decision-makers, small wind 

manufacturers, installers, and salespeople care about jobs. 

Note: The above map shows small wind installations between 2003-2012. AWEA estimates that 

the total small wind capacity installed in the United States is 216 MW with over 155,000 total 

units. (Source: American Wind Energy Association, U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report 

2012)

In 2012, the average installed cost of new small wind turbines in the United States was $6,960/kW, 

a 15% increase from 2011. U.S.- based manufacturers’ weighted average 2012 installed cost of 

$6,508/kW was 19% lower than non-U.S. suppliers. 

(Source: American Wind Energy Association and eFormative Options, 2013)

Up to 2.4 kW 2.5 -10 kW 10.1 – 50 kW 50.1 – 100 kW

Installed Capital 

Cost

$5,500 -

$8,000/kW

$6,000 -

$6,300/kW

~$6,000/kW $5,200 -

$5,300/kW

Operation & 

Maintenance

$60-$65/kW ~$10/kW $50-$55/kW $20-$25/kW

Phase Large-Scale FTE* Small Wind FTE*

Construction 6070 jobs/100 MW Up to 550 jobs/100 MW

Operations 67 jobs/100 MW ~ 825 jobs/100 MW

Inconsistent trends in costs could be due to issues with individual turbines. For the 

purposes of this research, they are categorized by size (nameplate capacity). Preliminary 

model runs indicate that small wind supports more jobs per megawatt than large/utilityscale wind. These JEDI model estimates may change as the model is updated.

Photo by Frank Oteri, NREL 18440

Does This Look Right to You?

Please help the model succeed by adding your input.

Photo by Stephanie Lively, NREL 16147

*Full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs are used in these estimates. One FTE is one worker employed full 

time for one year, for example, or two workers employed half-time for one year.

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.