Resource Hub
The Energy Construction Hub. Remote Sites, Covered.
Straight answers on the labor side of America’s energy buildout: solar and battery storage, wind, transmission and substations, power generation, and oil and gas. Where the work is landing, why crews are so hard to find on remote sites, and how contractors keep temp labor under control across every site and supplier.
Energy construction comes with a labor problem that looks different from a typical jobsite. Sites are often hours from the nearest metro, certifications are non-negotiable, and a single project can pull from a dozen suppliers at once. SLM manages temp labor for every trade on solar, storage, wind, grid, and power generation projects, so we see the same pressure points on every job: finding qualified crews near remote sites, keeping them certified, and knowing exactly what labor cost the project last week.
This hub organizes what we have learned so you can go as deep as you need, on exactly the question you have.
Remote, Multi-Supplier Energy Sites
Solar fields, battery storage yards, wind farms, and transmission lines rarely sit near a major city. The local labor pool is thin, travel crews are expensive, and every supplier you call is recruiting from the same short list of qualified hands.
Most EPCs and specialty contractors solve it by stacking suppliers: one for the electrical crew, another for general labor, a third for equipment operators, plus travel crews from the last project. That works in the field, but it breaks the back office. Timesheets, per diem, certifications, and invoices arrive from every direction, on every project.
SLM keeps the suppliers you already trust and runs the whole program through one platform and one dedicated team. When a remote site needs more coverage, we source vetted suppliers in and around that market before you start paying to fly crews in.
“Our solar site is two hours from the nearest city. Every supplier we call is pulling from the same thin pool, and half the crew’s certs expire before we energize.”What we hear from EPCs on remote solar and storage builds
Local first, then regional
We start with suppliers already working near your site, then expand to neighboring markets and travel crews only when the local pool runs short.
Keep the suppliers you trust
Your existing suppliers roll into the program. Crews and relationships stay intact, and they bill SLM instead of you.
Every cert, tracked per worker
OSHA training, NFPA 70E, NCCER, equipment operator certs, and site orientation are tracked per job. Credentials that expire get flagged before they lapse.
Capture time your way
Use the SLM app to clock crews in and out, keep the sign-in sheets or spreadsheets you use today, or keep your third-party timekeeping system. Hours are verified before anything is billed.
Per diem and travel, by job
Per diem, lodging, and travel are tracked alongside hours, so remote site costs land on the right project instead of a catch-all account.
Billed the way you close books
One consolidated invoice, or broken out per job and per supplier, with exports formatted for your accounting system. Drill down to detail, all the way to the time punches.
Cost on the job every week
Approved hours roll into weekly cost by project, supplier, worker, and cost code, so PMs see last week’s labor cost before the invoice lands.
Scale with the schedule
Ramp up for pile driving and racking, shift to electrical and substation work, then wind down for commissioning without hiring and letting people go at every phase.
Rehire your best hands
Rate workers and keep notes as projects wind down. When the next site breaks ground, we source the crew you want back and screen out the ones you do not.
Market Intelligence
Where solar, storage, wind, grid, and traditional power investment is landing, and what that means for anyone building a labor plan around it.
RE+ 2025 Recap: Renewable Energy Growth and the Labor Behind It
SLM’s takeaways from North America’s largest clean energy event, where manpower, not technology, came up in nearly every conversation.
Read the breakdown → Project PipelineThe Southeast’s Biggest Projects, Including the Grid
Transmission projects like the Southern Spirit link are reshaping regional power capacity, and the skilled labor demand that comes with it.
Read the breakdown → PolicyHow Federal Policy Shaped Solar EPC Labor Demand
How the Inflation Reduction Act added pressure to an already tight market for solar EPC services and skilled labor, and why temp labor filled the gap.
Read the breakdown →Labor Strategy
The labor models, shortages, and decisions that determine whether an energy project hits its schedule.
Solving Labor Challenges in Renewable Energy
From building solar farms to maintaining wind turbines, why finding skilled, reliable labor is one of the sector’s biggest hurdles, and how a deep supplier pool helps.
Read the breakdown → Program ModelsMSP vs. VMS: What’s the Difference, and Which Do You Need?
The terms get used interchangeably. They are not the same thing, and picking wrong costs you on a remote, multi-supplier energy build.
Read the breakdown → PlaybookLabor Hoarding: Keeping Crews Between Phases
Why more contractors are holding on to proven crews between projects instead of starting over, and what it means on long, multi-phase builds.
Read the breakdown →Field & Compliance Operations
What it takes to keep crews certified, staffed, and productive on remote and safety-critical energy sites.
The Jobsite Your Competitors Can’t Staff
The biggest build boom in a generation is landing in rural counties. Why local labor market intelligence matters before the bid goes out.
Read the breakdown → ComplianceReal-Time Safety and Certification Data
Why live certification and safety data prevents incidents and delays on renewable energy and power projects.
Read the breakdown → Field OperationsManaging Multiple Suppliers Without the Phone Tag
How contractors scale crews up and down across multi-supplier programs and adapt quickly to shifting project demands.
Read the breakdown →See How It Works
The capabilities energy contractors lean on most, plus more from the SLM blog.
Compliance Monitoring
Every credential and owner requirement tracked per worker and per job, flagged before it expires.
Explore → PlatformTime & Expense Tracking
Hours, per diem, and travel captured your way, verified before billing, and tied to the right job.
Explore → PlatformConsolidated Invoicing
One reconciled invoice, coded to your jobsites, suppliers, and cost codes, ready for AP.
Explore → SLM BlogCompliance Tracking on Renewable Energy Projects
Why incentive-backed renewable projects need detailed labor tracking, and how to keep the paper trail clean.
Read on the blog → Case StudiesSee the Results
How contractors have brought temp labor under control across sites and suppliers.
Browse case studies →Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most about energy project temp labor.
What trades does SLM cover on energy projects?
Every trade on the job, from site prep and pile driving to electrical, substation, and commissioning work, across solar, battery storage, wind, transmission, power generation, and oil and gas. If a supplier in the SLM network does not already cover a trade or market you need, SLM finds and vets one for you.
Why is skilled labor hard to find on energy projects?
Energy projects often sit in remote or rural locations, require specialized safety certifications, and depend on multiple suppliers working together. Demand from solar, storage, wind, and grid work has outpaced the pipeline of qualified, safety-trained technicians and tradespeople, and local labor pools near remote sites are thin. See solving labor challenges in renewable energy.
How does SLM staff remote and rural energy sites?
SLM starts with suppliers already working in and around the region, then expands to suppliers in neighboring markets and travel crews when the local pool runs short. Per diem and travel are tracked by job alongside hours, so remote site costs land on the right project. See the jobsite your competitors can’t staff.
How does SLM track certifications on energy jobsites?
Every credential a project requires, such as OSHA training, NFPA 70E, NCCER, or site-specific orientation, is tracked per worker and per job. Credentials that expire, like equipment operator certifications, are flagged before they lapse, so workers are cleared before they reach the site. See compliance monitoring.
Do we have to change how we capture time?
No. Use the SLM app to clock crews in and out, keep the sign-in sheets or spreadsheets you use today, or keep your third-party timekeeping system. SLM takes the hours in however you capture them and verifies them before anything is billed. See time and expense tracking.
Can SLM invoice per project and per supplier?
Yes. SLM can deliver one consolidated invoice or break it out per jobsite and per supplier, with exports formatted for your accounting system. Every line lets you drill down to detail, down to the individual time punches behind the cost. See consolidated invoicing.
What’s the difference between an MSP and a VMS for energy construction?
A Vendor Management System (VMS) is software that tracks suppliers, timesheets, and spend. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is the team that actively runs the temp labor program, supplier performance, and compliance on top of that data. Remote, multi-supplier energy sites usually need both, and SLM owns both the platform and the service. See MSP vs. VMS, explained.
Is SLM a staffing agency?
No. SLM is a temp labor command center. SLM does not employ the workers; it manages the suppliers you use through one platform and one dedicated team. See is SLM a staffing agency?