Solar installations in the US have seen significant increase since 2020, while there are more than five million installations in the country, according to the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
Currently, over half of all US solar installations, including residential, commercial and industrial (C&I) and large-scale ground-mounted projects, have come online since the start of 2020, and over a quarter have come online since the IRA became law more than a year ago.
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The residential sector accounts for 97% of all solar installations in the US. As of 2023, the US had 36GW of residential solar systems. By 2030, the US will have 10 million residential solar systems, more than double the number of installations in this sector today. Also, 7% of homes in the US have solar systems, while this proportion will grow to more than 15% by 2030.
States with high number of solar systems
A total of 11 states and territories had over 100,000 systems installed, while 23 states and territories have over 25,000 systems. California led the country with two million solar installations. In 2012, the state had only over 25,000 installed solar systems.
Recently, PV Tech reported that residential solar PV installations in California since the introduction of the NEM 3.0 – a billing structure of California’s rooftop solar net metering scheme – have been roughly equal to the amount in the prior year, with more customers installing battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Some other states have witnessed rapid growth. For example, Illinois was an emerging market with only 2,500 solar installations in 2017, but it is now home to more than 87,000 solar systems. As of the third quarter of 2023, Illinois had only 2,347MW of installed solar capacity, while 7,688MW of solar capacity will be added until 2028.
Florida is another market that has experienced substantial growth, increasing from 22,000 installations in 2017 to 235,000 installations today.
“Solar is scaling by the millions because it consistently delivers on its promise to lower electricity costs, boost community resilience, and create economic opportunities. Solar is quickly becoming the dominant source of electricity on the grid, allowing communities to breathe cleaner air and lead healthier lives,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA.
Looking ahead, SEIA expected that solar installations in the US will double to 10 million by 2030 and triple to 15 million by 2034. By 2030, 22 states or territories are expected to exceed 100,000 solar installations.
Speaking of installed solar capacity, over half of US had over 1GW of solar installed, compared to only three states a decade ago. By 2034, US solar capacity is expected to grow to 673GW.
