U.S. Solar Capacity – A New
Milestone Reached

May 10, 2019

In this week’s livestream, Patrick talks about a big milestone reached in 2019 with respect to U.S. solar installations.

A Milestone in U.S. Installations

• In 2016, the U.S. Solar industry has reached a record of 1 million solar installations. It is obvious with newer technology like solar, the market needed time to pull up the speed and hit 1 million within a time frame of 40 years.
  
• In 2019, we hit the next million in just 3 years to reach. The increase in solar adoption in recent years is the reason behind the industry’s pace and made it possible to gain 2 million installations this year.

Solar Industry Growth – U.S. Solar Market Projections

• In 2021, it is expected that U.S. PV installations would increase to 3 million. And within two years from then, in 2023, it is expected to have 4 million installations.
• Based on these numbers, one could assume that PV capacity in the U.S. will double over the next five years.

“By 2024, there will be on average, one solar installation per minute. That’s up from one installation every 10 minutes in 2010.” – Michelle Davis, Senior Solar Analyst at SEIA

So, if you’re looking to go solar, there are plenty of opportunities for you and our solar experts would be happy to help.

The U.S states with major solar potential markets are as below: 

• California – Due to its higher electricity rates, the Golden State is one of the earliest solar adopters in the country. With strong supportive legislation, California is very solar-friendly.
• New York – It is a great state for the solar industry due to its best incentives and financial benefits.
• Hawaii – When compared to other states, it surely had the quickest penetration into the solar market from the residential scale. Even though the energy is very expensive in Hawaii, there is a ton of sunlight available throughout the year which makes it a great fit for solar adoption.
• New Jersey and Massachusetts – Both states are very solar friendly – thanks to their SREC programs. Along with SREC programs, which have a significant effect on solar growth, these states also have a lot of legislation RPF standards to push people into the solar market.
• Florida – Electricity rates are relatively low in Florida and moving away from the grid is not as big of a concern. But in a state that has seen the most number of hurricanes and season storms, freedom from the grid is the major factor for solar adoption.

California – The Biggest Solar Market in the U.S.

With over 3.3 GW of capacity installed in 2018, California is the leader when it comes to solar power in the U.S. Here are some highlights of the Golden State’s solar industry:

• It is the largest solar market in the United States.
• Out of the 1 million installations in 2016, it is believed that 51% of them were residential installations in the state. Of the second million installations, California accounted for 43% of those installations.

If you’re looking to go solar, now is the appropriate time. Join our marketplace for expert solar advice.