Now 5 million solar installations in the US, 5x more than in 2016

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The U.S. solar industry, and especially the roof arm of the industry, is going through a tough time right now. The nation's largest solar market – by far – is California, and the industry there has been hit quite hard by the massive downgrade in solar policy to “Net metering 3.0.”

Nevertheless, there is much to celebrate when it comes to solar energy progress in the United States. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently reported that the country has done just that Passed 5 million solar installations. Five million!

Perhaps even more interesting and telling, this is an increase of five times the 1 million solar installations the country reached in 2016. Solar energy is growing rapidly in the country. Can we double that 5 million in another 8 years? Can we double this faster, for example by 2030? SEIA seems to think we can indeed double the number before 2030.

“Today, 7% of homes in America have solar energy, and this number will grow to more than 15% of American homes by 2030,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA.

SEIA expects that the total number of solar energy installations will not only double to 10 million by 2030, but the organization also expects the number to triple to 15 million by 2034. So that increase from 5 million to 10 million would occur within about six years, while the increase from 10 million to 15 million (also an increase of 5 million installations) would take about four years. So despite Net Metering 3.0, SEIA expects solar energy growth to actually increase.

“Solar energy is quickly becoming the dominant source of electricity on the grid, allowing communities to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives,” added Abigail Ross Hopper.

Another interesting statistic from SEIA is that more than half of U.S. solar installations were turned on in the 2020s. Less than half of our solar energy installations were installed and switched on before 2020.

Additionally, more than 25% of U.S. solar installations have come online since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) went into effect! That was just twenty months ago, and it's probably the most stunning statistic in the article to me.

Note that “solar installations” refers to rooftop solar systems, commercial solar installations, and those very large ground-mounted solar systems as you can see here:

Note that the first grid-connected solar power installation in the US came in 1973.

“Solar energy is growing by the millions because it consistently delivers on its promise to lower electricity costs, increase community resiliency and create economic opportunity,” said Abigail Ross Hopper.

While large “utility-scale” solar systems contribute the most to generating electricity from solar energy, the largest number of installations will clearly come from the small, residential solar market. In fact, 97% of US solar installations are residential solar installations.

“This sector has set annual installation records for five consecutive years and ten of the past twelve years. Residential solar is growing at a historic pace because it is a proven investment for homeowners looking to take control of their energy costs.”

There are now eleven US states and territories with more than 100,000 solar PV systems installed. California is by far the No. 1 state in the country, and it has been that way more than 2 million solar installations on their own (yes, that's about 40% of the country's total). “Several other states are seeing rapid growth. Illinois was an emerging market with only 2,500 solar installations in 2017, and today the state is home to more than 87,000 solar energy systems. Florida is another market experiencing substantial growth, from 22,000 installations in 2017 to 235,000 installations today.”

Despite decades of efforts by the utility and fossil fuel sectors to write off, delay and ignore the solar transition, the market continues to thrive. Solar energy is one of the main ways we put electricity on the grid now, and the story should only get better in the coming years.