Greetings, fellow solar enthusiasts!
Today, we will pull back the curtains of the solar industry to reveal some interesting facts and growth patterns. I hope that reading this blog post will help you make informed decisions about opting for solar panels for your home or considering a contribution toward a community solar array for your home town.
First off, let’s consider a dazzling fact that the U.S has witnessed more than 5 million solar installations. More shockingly, the residential sector claimed a staggering 97% of all these installations. That’s a serious amount of sunlight being converted into electricity!
In terms of the total solar capacity installed in 2023, 31% was accounted for by distributed solar. To simplify, distributed solar is solar power that’s generated very close to the point of use, implicating the owners are usually individuals, small businesses or public entities.
It’s fascinating to observe how different states are faring concerning solar installations. To crunch the numbers, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and U.S Census Bureau were considered, giving us a figure in ‘watts per capita’. Results showed that 21 states and the District of Columbia surpassed the 100 watts per capita mark, a laudable achievement indeed!
Speaking of achievers, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Massachusetts made it to the top ten for both categories – distributed solar saturation and overall solar generation capacity. Other states with significant installed capacity included Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. As far as distributed solar saturation goes, that is, installed capacity per head, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and California secured the top spots.
Experts in the solar field continue to observe the trends and the evolving landscape. For instance, Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and Colorado each witnessed an increase in their installed distributed capacity by more than 1 GW. Amazing, isn’t it?
Community solar has also emerged as a viable solution for those unable to install personal solar arrays due to financial constraints or roof unsuitability. Community solar simplifies the process for subscribers and opens the door to solar benefits to a larger audience. At the end of 2023, New York topped the chart with total installed community solar capacity of 1.72 GW, closely followed by Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Eleven states, including Minnesota, New York, and Illinois, have shown strong growth in their community solar programs, emerging as “solar-enabling” states. They are lighting the way for the rest of us, demonstrating how effective policy and community support can lead to astonishing results.
Each year brings about a host of changes, improvements, and surprises that keep the solar industry vibrant and interesting. Deciding to install solar panels for your home might not only be an eco-friendly decision, but you can also become a part of the transformative solar movement.
As we collectively work towards creating a more sustainable and brighter future, it’s exciting to witness the growth, obstacles, and triumphs in the solar industry. Stay tuned for more insights!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/20/strong-state-solar-policies-boost-adoption-of-distributed-energy/
