The sun is shining on solar jobs in Albuquerque.

According to the nonprofit The Solar Foundation, solar jobs in the Albuquerque metro area increased by 78 percent, from 997 jobs in 2015 to 1,771 jobs last year. Albuquerque had one of the highest increases in solar jobs in the country. Across the country, solar jobs increased by 25 percent from 2015 to 2016, for a total of 260,077 solar workers.

Albuquerque's solar job growth outpaced other metro areas that include San Francisco (67 percent), Los Angeles (11 percent), Boston (24 percent) and San Diego (35 percent). Metro areas that had a higher growth of solar jobs include Sacramento, California (99 percent), San Luis Obispo, California (137 percent) and Minneapolis (169 percent). Denver saw a 3 percent decline in solar jobs.

Below are the top five counties for solar jobs:

B e r n a l i l l o C o u n t y — 1 , 6 7 7

S a n t a F e C o u n t y — 2 8 2

S a n J u a n C o u n t y — 1 8 2

L e a C o u n t y — 1 3 5

E d d y C o u n t y — 8 8

The solar industry produced $154 billion in economic activity in the country last year, according to an economic analysis from The Solar Foundation.

In February, The Solar Foundation reported New Mexico ranked No. 23 in the country for solar jobs. Per capita, New Mexico was No. 8 for the number of solar jobs.

Earlier this year Albuquerque-based Affordable Solar announced it was building three solar farms at a cost of $45 million to meet the green energy needs of the massive Los Lunas Facebook data center. Albuquerque's SolAero Technologies Corp. also announced a $10 million expansion that will add 100 jobs. Click here to read the full article and reports.