A poll commissioned by trade association Scottish Renewables (SR) has found businesses working in the sector are anticipating a sixth of their workforce will be lost within the next 12 months.
Respondents predicted an average decrease in full-time equivalent posts in Scotland of 16.9%.
Wind turbine fabricator Enercon said it expects its 155-strong Scottish workforce could fall by up to a third in the next 12 months, as staff move abroad to work in other countries where the company is active.
The German outfit said the primary reason for this potential decline was government policy on onshore wind leading to a much smaller market and reduced orders.
SR policy director Jenny Hogan said: “These results show that changes to and closures of support schemes are having an impact on our members and on the numbers of employees within their businesses.
“Onshore wind and solar are the two cheapest forms of electricity, but ministers are refusing to allow them to access long term contracts for power, which will result in a marked slowdown in investment and a decrease in employment.”
The SurveyMonkey poll was completed by 46 companies within the SR membership between 6 and 19 February.
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