U.S. Exceeds 5M Solar Installations

The United States has exceeded 5 million solar installations, according to data released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, coming eight years after the country reached its one million installation milestone in 2016.

The data further revealed that over half of all domestic solar installations have come online since 2020 and 25% have come online since the Inflation Reduction Act became law. Systems in the research included residential, business and utility-scale projects. 

“Solar is scaling by the millions because it consistently delivers on its promise to lower electricity costs, boost community resilience and create economic opportunities,” says SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Today, 7% of homes in America have solar, and this number will grow to over 15% of U.S. homes by 2030. Solar is quickly becoming the dominant source of electricity on the grid, allowing communities to breathe cleaner air and lead healthier lives.”

Per the newly released research, residential installs account for 97% of all domestic installations, setting annual records for ten of the last 12 years. 

Although recent policy decisions may impact the rooftop solar market, California leads the nation with 2 million installs. Illinois was viewed as an emerging market with 2,500 installations in 2017, compared to 87,000 solar systems currently. Florida increased as well, growing from 22,000 installations in 2017 to 235,000 installations today.