Solar energy installation in the United States achieves another strong year

The installation of 10.6 gigawatts of solar energy in the United States in 2018 marks the third consecutive year exceeding double digits.

Solar energy in the United States maintained its upward trend in 2018, adding another 10.6 gigawatts of this type of renewable energy to the country’s electrical grid. While the total amount was 2% lower than that added to the energy mix in 2017, the United States continues its strong embrace of solar power, exceeding 10 gigawatts of installed capacity for the third consecutive year.

If two years ago we asked ourselves the question ofWhat is the ceiling for solar energy in the United States?At that time, we learned that the United States installed 14.7 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity in 2016; two years later, this issue remains unresolved. In fact, over the last three years, the US has seen record-breaking solar power installations, accumulating 14.7 GW in 2016, 10.8 GW in 2017, and 10.6 GW in 2018. And all this amidst a trade war on solar cells and modules.

On the other hand, reports, such as theSolar Market Insight, launched byWood Mackenzie Power & Renewablesin collaboration withSolar Energy Industries Association(SEIA), offer us data that, taken together, provide a more holistic view of the growth of solar energy in the United States in recent years.

• 2018 marked the sixth consecutive year in which solar power was one of the top two sources of new generation capacity for the US.
• The total of photovoltaic power rose to 29% of the new electricity generation capacity.
• In 2018, 13.2 GW of large-scale solar power purchase agreements were signed. A record in the country’s history.
• The total accumulated photovoltaic capacity amounts to 62.4GW, nearly 75 times more than was installed during 2008.

More solar power in the short term

Although the trend appears to have stagnated, and even to be in decline (with the risk that 2016 was a record year for the country), in the last two years, the Solar Market Insight report, launched by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables in collaboration with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), highlights that the short-term energy future of the world’s largest economy depends on a greater commitment to solar energy.

Thus, according to the figures, 2019 will be a pivotal year for solar energy installations in the United States, overcoming these challenges and increasing total photovoltaic capacity by 14%. This allows us to envision a future in which, as experts in the field attest, installed solar capacity could double in the next five years. This clearly demonstrates the market’s strong commitment to this type of energy.