Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Despite the Solyndra collapse that has tarnished solar energy , the industry has grown into `` a major economic force '' with a job base that expanded 6.8 % the past year , nearly 10 times faster than the overall economy , industry representatives said Tuesday . The solar business is now a $ 6 billion industry , up 300 % from 2006 , said officials with the Solar Foundation , a nonprofit affiliated with solar energy industry . With 100,237 jobs as of August , solar employers expect their workforce to grow 24 % next year , according to the foundation 's National Solar Jobs Census 2011 , completed in partnership with BW Research Partnership 's Green LMI Consulting division and Cornell University . `` It 's great news , '' said Andrea Luecke , executive director of the Solar Foundation . `` Despite a struggling economy and the worst recession since the Depression and despite the Solyndra debacle , the industry is experiencing record-breaking trade numbers , record-breaking installed capacity , and record-breaking private investment . '' Solyndra Inc. was once considered a model `` green '' company producing state-of-the-art solar panels , but it is now at the center of congressional scrutiny and a FBI probe after the Fremont , California , firm filed for bankruptcy in late August and put more than 1,000 people out of work , even though it received $ 535 million in federal loan guarantees . The bankruptcy leaves the government unlikely to get back the money it loaned . President Barack Obama touted the company in a visit last year . Despite the controversy , the solar sector appears bullish , Luecke said . `` Solyndra , of course , is just one company , and they went out of business because they could no longer compete with not only Chinese manufactures but also U.S. manufacturers , '' Luecke said . `` There 's nothing to indicate that the solar industry is not poised for growth , though we do need smart policy investment as all energies do , '' Luecke added . She was referring to state and federal legislation that would give `` employers the confidence they need to expand their workforce , '' she said . California continued to be the national leader in solar employment , with 25,575 workers . Other states in the top 10 are Colorado , Arizona , Pennsylvania , New York , Florida , Texas , Oregon , New Jersey and Massachusetts , the group said . The study identified 17,198 solar employments sites in the United States . The survey collected data from more than 2,100 companies . `` The National Solar Jobs Census is an important reference because the previous lack of data about solar employment was presenting difficulties to policymakers and training providers , '' Philip Jordan , chief business officer at BW Research Partnership , said in a statement . Added John Bunge , associate professor in the department of statistical science at Cornell University 's School of Industrial Labor Relations : `` The jobs census is setting a new standard for clean energy job studies . `` The use of both primary and secondary data sources , along with careful statistical analysis , gives us high confidence in the results . We expect our rigorous methodology to be extended to econometric studies of green jobs beyond the solar industry , '' he said in a statement .
Solar energy is now a $ 6 billion industry . Its employment has grew 6.8 % the past year , to more than 100,000 people . Solyndra controversy an international scandal , industry official said .