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Greentech Media (GTM) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) teamed up in a 2016 Q2 Solar Market Insight report that illustrates just how much headway solar is making in the U.S. No longer shadowed by other kinds of electrical generation, solar actually added more electric capacity in the first quarter of 2016 than was added by natural gas, coal, nuclear, and wind industries combined!
It’s no secret that the U.S. solar sector has been busy; it was recently announced that solar jobs exceeded oil and gas employment for the first time ever and countries are starting to set solar energy milestones. In fact, renewable energy as a whole has been receiving a huge amount of positive attention. The UN just met to discuss global warming and how to encourage a worldwide shift towards green energy production.
But solar continues to shine brightest, especially after the first quarter of 2016. Creating 1,665 megawatts of energy, solar PV accounted for an impressive 64 percent of all new electric generation. With the projected 14.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to be generated in the U.S. this year, the estimation would surpass the previous record of 7.5 GW set last year by 94 percent.
What’s even more exciting is that this is the first time that the first quarter’s capacity addition is so strong. This is significant because the 4th quarter has historically been the strong quarter for solar capacity additions… with solar having such remarkable statistics so early in the year, just think of what the data will look like at the end of the year!
In other impressive news, U.S. solar is expected to account for more than 6 percent of operating electric generating capacity by 2021, compared to just 0.3 percent entering our current decade. Solar is ready to nearly quadruple by 2021. In that time, solar jobs will double, the industry will generate a huge amount of investments, and the environment will largely benefit from the replacement of fossil fuels.
Go solar today! You’ll be ahead of the game, powering your home for less, producing your own energy, and locking in low energy rates. Contact us today or call at 407.331.9077 to speak with one of our Energy Specialists, directly.
