Solar power in the United States
Encyclopedia
Solar power in the United States is an area of considerable activity and there are many utility-scale solar power plants. The largest solar power
installation in the world is the Solar Energy Generating Systems
facility in California, which has a total capacity of 354 megawatts (MW). Nevada Solar One
is a solar thermal plant with a 64 MW generating capacity, located near Boulder City
, Nevada
. The Copper Mountain Solar Facility
is a 48 MW photovoltaic solar power
facility in Boulder City, Nevada
. The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
is a 25 MW photovoltaic solar power facility in DeSoto County
, Florida
.
The Blythe Solar Power Project
is a 500 MW photovoltaic power station under construction in Riverside County, California
. The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility
is a 392 MW solar thermal power facility which is under construction in south-eastern California. The Solana Generating Station
is a 280 MW solar power
plant which is under construction about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest of Phoenix, Arizona
. The Agua Caliente Solar Project
is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona
. The California Valley Solar Ranch
(CVSR) is a 250 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower
in the Carrizo Plain
, northeast of California Valley
. The 230 MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch is a First Solar
photovoltaic project which is under construction in the Antelope Valley area of the Western Mojave Desert, and due to be completed in 2013.
There are plans to build many other large solar plants in the United States. Governor Jerry Brown
has signed legislation requiring California's utilities to obtain 33 percent of their electricity from renewable energy
sources by the end of 2020.
Sunlight is by far the world's most abundant energy resource. A 1993 report by the DOE
found that available domestic resources from solar, that would be theoretically accessible regardless of cost, represented 586,687 Quadrillion BTUs (Quads). Coal represented the second largest resource, a distant 38,147 Quads. The report stipulated that 95% of this potentially recoverable energy was from burning biomass. Predictions of how much solar power was economically feasible to collect amounted to 352 quads, compared with 5,266 quads from coal. The assumptions used in the report were based on a predicted 2010 price of a barrel of oil being $38. The total annual energy consumption of the United States in 2007 was approximately 100 Quads, less than 0.5% of that theoretically available from sunlight.
's "2008 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review" found that U.S. solar energy capacity increased by 17% in 2007, reaching the total equivalent of 8,775 megawatts (MW). The SEIA report tallies all types of solar energy, and in 2007 the United States installed 342 MW of solar photovoltaic
(PV) electric power, 139 thermal megawatts (MWth) of solar water heating
, 762 MWth of pool heating, and 21 MWth of solar space heating and cooling.
A report finds that solar power's contribution could grow to 10% of the nation's power needs by 2025. The report, prepared by research and publishing firm Clean Edge
and the nonprofit Co-op America
, projects nearly 2% of the nation's electricity coming from concentrating solar power systems, while solar photovoltaic systems will provide more than 8% of the nation's electricity. Those figures correlate to nearly 50,000 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems and more than 6,600 megawatts of concentrating solar power.
As noted in the report, solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past eight years, growing at an average pace of 40% per year. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems has also been dropping, while electricity generated from fossil fuels is becoming more expensive. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015. But to reach the 10% goal, solar photovoltaic companies will also need to streamline installations and make solar power a "plug-and-play" technology, that is, it must be simple and straightforward to buy the components of the system, connect them together, and connect the system to the power grid.
The report also places some of the responsibility with electric utilities, which will need to take advantage of the benefits of solar power, incorporate it into future "smart grid" technologies, and create new business models for building solar power capacity. The report also calls for establishing long-term extensions of today's investment and production tax credits, creating open standards for connecting solar power systems to the grid, and giving utilities the ability to include solar power in their rate base.
According to a study by the Solar Energy Industries Association
and GTM Research, 878 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 78 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) were installed in the U.S. in 2010, enough to power roughly 200,000 homes. In addition, more than 65,000 homes and businesses added solar water heating (SWH) or solar pool heating (SPH) systems. This was double the 435 MW installed in 2009 around the U.S.
According to a 2011 survey conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research, nine out of 10 Americans support the use and development of solar technology. Eight out of 10 respondents indicated that "the federal government should support solar manufacturing in the U.S. and should give federal subsidies for solar energy".
, in California. The 64 MW Nevada Solar One
uses parabolic trough technology in one of the largest solar plants in the world.
The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center
is a hybrid 75-megawatt (MW) parabolic trough solar energy plant which is owned by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). The solar plant is a component of the 3,705 MW Martin County Power Plant, which is currently the single largest fossil fuel burning power plant in the United States.
Completed at the end of 2010,
it is located in western Martin County
, Florida
, just north of Indiantown
.
The 5 MW Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant
demonstrates a fresnel reflector technology. Sierra SunTower
is a 5 MW commercial concentrating solar power tower in Lancaster, California and is the only CSP tower facility operating in North America. The 1.5 MW Maricopa Solar is the first Dish Stirling power plant. The 2 MW Holaniku MicroCSP Solar Thermal Plant in Hawaii is the world's first MicroCSP power plant.
In mid-2010, the U.S. produces more than half of all solar thermal power in the world, although Spain has a rapidly increasing number of plants.
is a 392 megawatt (MW) solar power facility which is under construction. It will consist of three separate solar thermal power plants in south-eastern California. The facility will consist of fields of heliostat
mirrors focusing solar energy on boilers located on centralized power tower
s. The first phase of the Ivanpah facility began construction in late 2010.
The Solana Generating Station
is a 280 MW solar power
plant which is under construction near Gila Bend
, Arizona
, about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest of Phoenix
.
The Mojave Solar Park
is a 280 MW solar thermal power facility under construction in the Mojave Desert
in California
, which should be completed in 2014. Abengoa has successfully secured a $1.2 billion loan guarantee from the US government for the project.
The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
is a 110 megawatt (MW) solar thermal power project currently under construction near Tonopah
, about 190 mile northwest of Las Vegas
.
. It will be of parabolic trough
design, and the company involved is NextEra Energy Resources
.
Recently a 1000 MW project was approved, the biggest in the world (http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solar_millennium_blythe/index.html)
Current trends indicate that a large number of photovoltaic power plants will be built, particularly in the south and southwest areas, where there is ample land in the sunny deserts of California, Nevada and Arizona. Large properties are being bought there with the aim of building more utility-scale PV power plants.
In late September 2008, Sanyo
Electric Company, Ltd. announced its decision to build a manufacturing plant for solar ingot
s and wafers (the building blocks for silicon solar cells) in Salem, Oregon. The plant will begin operating in October 2009 and will reach its full production capacity of 70 megawatts (MW) of solar wafers per year by April 2010.
In early October 2008, First Solar
, Inc. broke ground on an expansion of its Perrysburg, Ohio
, facility that will add enough capacity to produce another 57 MW per year of solar modules at the facility, bringing its total capacity to roughly 192 MW per year. The company expects to complete construction early next year and reach full production by mid-2010.
And in mid-October 2008, SolarWorld
AG opened a manufacturing plant in Hillsboro, Oregon
, that is expected to produce 500 MW of solar cells per year when it reaches full production in 2011.
Production is also growing for manufacturers of flexible thin-film solar modules. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) — a manufacturer of thin-film modules deposited on flexible
stainless steel
— has announced plans to build a facility in Battle Creek, Michigan
, that will produce 120 MW of solar modules per year. ECD will start construction in fall 2008, with production starting by the end of 2009. ECD has the option of doubling its production capacity in Battle Creek and has plans to reach 1,000 MW of annual production by 2012. Konarka Technologies, Inc. deposits its solar modules onto a flexible plastic
substrate
, and the company has just reopened a former Polaroid Corporation facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts
, that has been converted into a production facility for Konarka's "Power Plastic" solar modules. Konarka expects the facility to reach its capacity to produce of 1,000 MW of solar modules per year by 2011. Both companies employ a roll-to-roll processing
, similar to a newspaper printing press, for the manufacture of their solar modules. The manufacturing process offers the possibility of achieving high production capacities at a lower cost than most solar cell manufacturing plants.
HelioVolt Corporation opened a manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas
, that will have an initial capacity to produce 20 MW of solar cells per year. Starting with solar "inks" developed at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory
that are deposited with ink jets, HelioVolt employs a proprietary "printing" process to produce solar cells consisting of thin films of copper indium gallium selenide, or CIGS
. The technology won an R&D 100 Award in 2008 and it earned an Editor's Choice Award for Most Revolutionary Technology. HelioVolt's "FASST" reactive transfer printing process is 10–100 times faster than other CIGS production processes and can also be combined with vacuum evaporation
or ultrasonic spray deposition techniques. At its new Austin manufacturing plant, HelioVolt plans to produce both solar modules and next-generation building-integrated solar products using its FASST process.
The Copper Mountain Solar Facility
is a 48 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Boulder City, Nevada
. Sempra Generation
constructed the plant in 2010. At its construction peak more than 350 workers were installing the 775,000 First Solar
panels on the 380 acres (1.5 km²) site.
The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
is a photovoltaic solar power
facility in Arcadia
, DeSoto County
, Florida
owned by Florida Power & Light
(FPL).
President Barack Obama
attended the plant's commissioning on October 27, 2009.
It has a nameplate capacity
of 25 megawatts (MW) DC and produces an estimated 42,000 megawatt-hours (MW·h) of electricity per year.
The 21 megawatt Blythe Photovoltaic Power Plant
is the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar project in California. It is located in Blythe, California
, in Riverside County about 200 miles (321.9 km) east of Los Angeles
. Commercial operation began in December 2009. Electricity generated by the power plant is being sold to Southern California Edison
under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The Davidson County Solar Farm
is a 17.2 megawatt solar power
station located in the heart of North Carolina
, near the community of Linwood. SunEdison
built the array of photovoltaic panels, and Duke Energy
buys all the output from the solar farm.
The Nellis Solar Power Plant
is located within Nellis Air Force Base
in Clark County
, Nevada
, on the northeast side of Las Vegas
. The Nellis solar energy system will generate in excess of 25 million kilowatt-hours (kW·h) of electricity annually and supply more than 25 percent of the power used at the base. The system was inaugurated in a ceremony on December 17, 2007, with Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons activating full operation of the 14 megawatt (MW) array.
Other operational PV power plants include:
is a 550 MW solar power
plant under construction in Riverside County, California
, that will use thin-film solar photovoltaic modules made by First Solar
.
The Blythe Solar Power Project
is a 500 MW photovoltaic station under construction in Riverside County, California
.
The Agua Caliente Solar Project
is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona
.
The California Valley Solar Ranch
(CVSR) is a 250 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower
in the Carrizo Plain
, northeast of California Valley
.
The 230 MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch is a First Solar
photovoltaic project which is under construction in the Antelope Valley area of the Western Mojave Desert, and due to be completed in 2013.
The Mesquite Solar project
is a photovoltaic solar power plant being built in Arlington
, Maricopa County
, Arizona
, owned by Sempra Generation. Phase 1 will have a nameplate capacity
of 150 megawatts.
The 60 MW Pflugerville Solar Farm is under construction and will use 400,000 solar panels.
Most are grid connected and use net metering
laws to allow use of electricity in the evening that was generated during the daytime. New Jersey
leads the nation with the least restrictive net metering law, while California
leads in total number of homes which have solar panels installed. Many were installed because of the million solar roof initiative.
, H.R. 1424, until the end of 2016. It was estimated this will create 440,000 jobs, 28 gigawatts of solar power, and lead to a $300 billion market for solar panels. This estimate did not take into account the removal of the $2,000 cap on residential tax credits at the end of 2008.
(DOE) announced on September 29, 2008 that it will invest $17.6 million, subject to annual appropriation
s, in six company-led, early-stage photovoltaic (PV) projects under the Solar America Initiative's "PV Incubator" funding opportunity. The "PV Incubator" project is designed to fund prototype PV components and systems with the goal of moving them through the commercialization process by 2010. The 2008 award will be the second funding opportunity released under the PV Incubator project. With the cost share from industry, which will be at least 20%, up to $35.4 million will be invested in these projects. The projects will run for 18 months, and will be subcontracted through DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory
.
Most of the projects will receive up to $3 million in funding, with the exception of Solasta and Spire Semiconductor, which will receive up to $2.6 million and $2.97 million, respectively. Massachusetts-based 1366 Technologies
will develop a new cell architecture for low-cost, multi-crystalline silicon cells, which will enhance cell performance through improved light-trapping texturing and grooves
for self-aligned metallization fingers. California's Innovalight will useink-jet printing to transfer their "silicon ink" onto thin-crystalline silicon wafers to produce high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells and modules. Skyline Solar
, also in California, will develop an integrated, lightweight, single-axis tracked system that reflects and concentrates sunlight over 10 times onto silicon cells. Solasta, in Massachusetts, is working on a novel cell design that increases currents and lowers the materials cost. Solexel, another California-based company, will commercialize a disruptive, 3D high-efficiency mono-crystalline silicon cell technology that dramatically reduces manufacturing cost per watt. Finally, Spire Semiconductor in New Hampshire will develop three-junction tandem solar cells that better optimize the optical properties of their device layer
s; the company is targeting cell efficiencies over 42% using a low-cost manufacturing method.
The PV Incubator project is part of the Solar America Initiative, which aims to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015 (grid parity
).
The Solar America Initiative (SAI) is a part of the Federal Advanced Energy Initiative to accelerate the development of advanced photovoltaic materials with the goal of making it cost-competitive with grid electricity by 2015 (grid parity
).
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) will achieve the goals of the SAI through partnerships and strategic alliances by focusing primarily on four areas:
The Solar America Showcases activity is part of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), and preference is given to large-scale, highly visible, highly replicable installations that involve cutting-edge solar technologies or novel applications of solar.
. Washington state has a feed-in tariff of 15 ₡/kWh which increases to 54 ₡/kWh if components are manufactured in the state. Hawaii
and Michigan
are also considering feed in tariffs.
In 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled that states were unable to implement above-market feed-in tariffs because setting wholesale electricity rates was pre-empted by the Federal Power Act (FPA).
(SRECs) to meet state requirements. This is done by adding a specific solar carve-out to the state Renewable Portfolio Standard
(RPS). The first SREC program was developed in 2004 by the state of New Jersey and has since expanded to several other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
An SREC program is an alternative to the feed-in tariff
model popular in Europe. The key difference between the two models is the market-based mechanism that drives the value of the SRECs, and therefore the value of the subsidy for solar. In a feed-in tariff model, the government sets the value for the electricity produced by a solar facility. If the level is too high, too much solar power is built and the program is more costly. If the feed-in tariff is set too low, not enough solar power is built and the program is ineffective.
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
installation in the world is the Solar Energy Generating Systems
Solar Energy Generating Systems
Solar Energy Generating Systems is the largest solar energy generating facility in the world. It consists of nine solar power plants in California's Mojave Desert, where insolation is among the best available in the United States...
facility in California, which has a total capacity of 354 megawatts (MW). Nevada Solar One
Nevada Solar One
Nevada Solar One is a concentrated solar power plant, with a nominal capacity of 64 MW and maximum capacity of 75 MW spread over an area of 400 Acres. The projected CO2 emissions avoided is equivalent to taking approximately 20,000 cars off the road annually. The project required an investment of...
is a solar thermal plant with a 64 MW generating capacity, located near Boulder City
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The Copper Mountain Solar Facility
Copper Mountain Solar Facility
The Copper Mountain Solar Facility is a 48 megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant in Boulder City, Nevada. Sempra Generation announced on December 1, 2010 that it had finished the project and the facility was generating electricity...
is a 48 MW photovoltaic solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
facility in Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
. The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a photovoltaic solar power facility in Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida owned by Florida Power & Light .President Barack Obama attended the plant's commissioning on October 27, 2009...
is a 25 MW photovoltaic solar power facility in DeSoto County
DeSoto County, Florida
DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 32,209. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 35,406 . Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. The county comprises the Arcadia, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :DeSoto...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
The Blythe Solar Power Project
Blythe Solar Power Project
The Blythe Solar Power Project is a solar power station under construction in Riverside County, California. The project is being developed by Solarhybrid/Solar Millennium's subsidiary Solar Trust of America, in a joint venture with Chevron Energy Solutions....
is a 500 MW photovoltaic power station under construction in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, is a $2.2 billion solar thermal power project currently under construction in the California Mojave Desert, southwest of Las Vegas, with a planned capacity of 392 megawatts . The project is developed by BrightSource Energy and Bechtel...
is a 392 MW solar thermal power facility which is under construction in south-eastern California. The Solana Generating Station
Solana Generating Station
The Solana Generating Station is a solar power plant which is under construction near Gila Bend, Arizona, about southwest of Phoenix. It is being built by the Spanish company Abengoa Solar, and will have a total capacity of 280 megawatts , which is enough to power 70,000 homes while...
is a 280 MW solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
plant which is under construction about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. The Agua Caliente Solar Project
Agua Caliente Solar Project
The Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona, that will use thin film solar panels manufactured by First Solar...
is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The California Valley Solar Ranch
California Valley Solar Ranch
The California Valley Solar Ranch is a 250 megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower in the Carrizo Plain, northeast of California Valley. Construction on the project began in September 2011, with approximately 350 jobs expected to be created in San Luis...
(CVSR) is a 250 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower
SunPower
SunPower Corporation designs and manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, roof tiles and solar panels based on a silicon all-back-contact solar cell invented at Stanford University. SunPower Corporation is publicly traded on the NASDAQ as SPWRA and SPWRB...
in the Carrizo Plain
Carrizo Plain
The Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles long and up to 15 miles across, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California...
, northeast of California Valley
California Valley, California
California Valley is an unincorporated community located in the eastern part of San Luis Obispo County, California, in the northern portion of the Carrizo Plain.Located...
. The 230 MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch is a First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
photovoltaic project which is under construction in the Antelope Valley area of the Western Mojave Desert, and due to be completed in 2013.
There are plans to build many other large solar plants in the United States. Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
has signed legislation requiring California's utilities to obtain 33 percent of their electricity from renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
sources by the end of 2020.
Availability
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
found that available domestic resources from solar, that would be theoretically accessible regardless of cost, represented 586,687 Quadrillion BTUs (Quads). Coal represented the second largest resource, a distant 38,147 Quads. The report stipulated that 95% of this potentially recoverable energy was from burning biomass. Predictions of how much solar power was economically feasible to collect amounted to 352 quads, compared with 5,266 quads from coal. The assumptions used in the report were based on a predicted 2010 price of a barrel of oil being $38. The total annual energy consumption of the United States in 2007 was approximately 100 Quads, less than 0.5% of that theoretically available from sunlight.
Growth
Solar energy deployment increased at a record pace in the United States and throughout the world in 2008, according to industry reports. The Solar Energy Industries AssociationSolar Energy Industries Association
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national nonprofit trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is working to build a strong solar industry to power America...
's "2008 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review" found that U.S. solar energy capacity increased by 17% in 2007, reaching the total equivalent of 8,775 megawatts (MW). The SEIA report tallies all types of solar energy, and in 2007 the United States installed 342 MW of solar photovoltaic
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
(PV) electric power, 139 thermal megawatts (MWth) of solar water heating
Solar water heating
Solar water heating or solar hot water systems comprise several innovations and many mature renewable energy technologies that have been well established for many years...
, 762 MWth of pool heating, and 21 MWth of solar space heating and cooling.
A report finds that solar power's contribution could grow to 10% of the nation's power needs by 2025. The report, prepared by research and publishing firm Clean Edge
Clean Edge
Clean Edge is a leading U.S. research and publishing firm that helps companies, investors, and policymakers understand and profit from clean technologies...
and the nonprofit Co-op America
Co-op America
Green America, formerly known as Co-op America, is a nonprofit membership organization based in the United States that promotes ethical consumerism...
, projects nearly 2% of the nation's electricity coming from concentrating solar power systems, while solar photovoltaic systems will provide more than 8% of the nation's electricity. Those figures correlate to nearly 50,000 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems and more than 6,600 megawatts of concentrating solar power.
As noted in the report, solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past eight years, growing at an average pace of 40% per year. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems has also been dropping, while electricity generated from fossil fuels is becoming more expensive. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015. But to reach the 10% goal, solar photovoltaic companies will also need to streamline installations and make solar power a "plug-and-play" technology, that is, it must be simple and straightforward to buy the components of the system, connect them together, and connect the system to the power grid.
The report also places some of the responsibility with electric utilities, which will need to take advantage of the benefits of solar power, incorporate it into future "smart grid" technologies, and create new business models for building solar power capacity. The report also calls for establishing long-term extensions of today's investment and production tax credits, creating open standards for connecting solar power systems to the grid, and giving utilities the ability to include solar power in their rate base.
According to a study by the Solar Energy Industries Association
Solar Energy Industries Association
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national nonprofit trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is working to build a strong solar industry to power America...
and GTM Research, 878 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 78 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) were installed in the U.S. in 2010, enough to power roughly 200,000 homes. In addition, more than 65,000 homes and businesses added solar water heating (SWH) or solar pool heating (SPH) systems. This was double the 435 MW installed in 2009 around the U.S.
According to a 2011 survey conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research, nine out of 10 Americans support the use and development of solar technology. Eight out of 10 respondents indicated that "the federal government should support solar manufacturing in the U.S. and should give federal subsidies for solar energy".
Solar thermal power
Existing plants
The U.S. pioneered solar tower and trough technologies. A number of different solar thermal technologies are in use in the U.S. The largest and oldest solar power plant in the world is the 354 MW SEGS thermal power plantSolar Energy Generating Systems
Solar Energy Generating Systems is the largest solar energy generating facility in the world. It consists of nine solar power plants in California's Mojave Desert, where insolation is among the best available in the United States...
, in California. The 64 MW Nevada Solar One
Nevada Solar One
Nevada Solar One is a concentrated solar power plant, with a nominal capacity of 64 MW and maximum capacity of 75 MW spread over an area of 400 Acres. The projected CO2 emissions avoided is equivalent to taking approximately 20,000 cars off the road annually. The project required an investment of...
uses parabolic trough technology in one of the largest solar plants in the world.
The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center
The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a hybrid 75-megawatt parabolic trough solar energy plant, built by Florida Power & Light Company ....
is a hybrid 75-megawatt (MW) parabolic trough solar energy plant which is owned by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). The solar plant is a component of the 3,705 MW Martin County Power Plant, which is currently the single largest fossil fuel burning power plant in the United States.
Completed at the end of 2010,
it is located in western Martin County
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, just north of Indiantown
Indiantown, Florida
Indiantown is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,588 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
The 5 MW Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant
Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant
The 5 megawatt Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant in Bakersfield, California is the first commercial solar thermal power plant to be built by AREVA Solar, formerly Ausra. The Kimberlina renewable energy solar boiler uses Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology to generate superheated steam...
demonstrates a fresnel reflector technology. Sierra SunTower
Sierra SunTower
Sierra SunTower is a 5 MW commercial concentrating solar power plant built and operated by eSolar. The plant is located in Lancaster, California and is the only CSP tower facility operating in North America.- Project overview :...
is a 5 MW commercial concentrating solar power tower in Lancaster, California and is the only CSP tower facility operating in North America. The 1.5 MW Maricopa Solar is the first Dish Stirling power plant. The 2 MW Holaniku MicroCSP Solar Thermal Plant in Hawaii is the world's first MicroCSP power plant.
In mid-2010, the U.S. produces more than half of all solar thermal power in the world, although Spain has a rapidly increasing number of plants.
Under construction
The Ivanpah Solar Power FacilityIvanpah Solar Power Facility
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, is a $2.2 billion solar thermal power project currently under construction in the California Mojave Desert, southwest of Las Vegas, with a planned capacity of 392 megawatts . The project is developed by BrightSource Energy and Bechtel...
is a 392 megawatt (MW) solar power facility which is under construction. It will consist of three separate solar thermal power plants in south-eastern California. The facility will consist of fields of heliostat
Heliostat
A heliostat is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating for the sun's apparent motions in the sky. The target may be a physical object, distant from the heliostat, or a direction in space...
mirrors focusing solar energy on boilers located on centralized power tower
Power tower
Power tower may refer to:*Power Tower - an amusement ride*Power Tower - a type of mechanical power take-off *Solar power tower - a type of solar power plant*Tetration - mathematical operation*Electricity pylon...
s. The first phase of the Ivanpah facility began construction in late 2010.
The Solana Generating Station
Solana Generating Station
The Solana Generating Station is a solar power plant which is under construction near Gila Bend, Arizona, about southwest of Phoenix. It is being built by the Spanish company Abengoa Solar, and will have a total capacity of 280 megawatts , which is enough to power 70,000 homes while...
is a 280 MW solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
plant which is under construction near Gila Bend
Gila Bend, Arizona
Gila Bend , founded in 1872, is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90-degree bend in the Gila River, which is close to but not precisely at the community's current location...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, about 70 miles (112.7 km) southwest of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
The Mojave Solar Park
Mojave Solar Park
The Mojave Solar Park is a solar thermal power facility under construction in the Mojave Desert in California, which is located 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles near Barstow. The 280 MW concentrating solar power plant will cost an estimated $1.6 billion in total and should be completed in 2014...
is a 280 MW solar thermal power facility under construction in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which should be completed in 2014. Abengoa has successfully secured a $1.2 billion loan guarantee from the US government for the project.
The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, is a 110 megawatt solar thermal power project currently under construction near Tonopah, about northwest of Las Vegas....
is a 110 megawatt (MW) solar thermal power project currently under construction near Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
, about 190 mile northwest of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Planned plants
The Genesis Solar Energy Project is a proposed 250 MW solar thermal power station to be located in Riverside County, CaliforniaRiverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. It will be of parabolic trough
Parabolic trough
A parabolic trough is a type of solar thermal energy collector. It is constructed as a long parabolic mirror with a Dewar tube running its length at the focal point. Sunlight is reflected by the mirror and concentrated on the Dewar tube...
design, and the company involved is NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources is an wholesale electricity supplier based in Juno Beach, Florida. It is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. , a Fortune 200 company. Prior to 2009, NextEra Energy Resources was known as FPL Energy....
.
Recently a 1000 MW project was approved, the biggest in the world (http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solar_millennium_blythe/index.html)
Prospects
The US photovoltaic market amounted to 440 megawatts peak in 2009. Of this, 372 MW were accounted for by plants with a peak output above 200 kilowatts each.Current trends indicate that a large number of photovoltaic power plants will be built, particularly in the south and southwest areas, where there is ample land in the sunny deserts of California, Nevada and Arizona. Large properties are being bought there with the aim of building more utility-scale PV power plants.
Cell makers
New manufacturing facilities for solar cells and modules in Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas promise to add enough capacity to produce thousands of megawatts of solar devices per year within the next few years from 2008:In late September 2008, Sanyo
Sanyo
is a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
Electric Company, Ltd. announced its decision to build a manufacturing plant for solar ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s and wafers (the building blocks for silicon solar cells) in Salem, Oregon. The plant will begin operating in October 2009 and will reach its full production capacity of 70 megawatts (MW) of solar wafers per year by April 2010.
In early October 2008, First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
, Inc. broke ground on an expansion of its Perrysburg, Ohio
Perrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
, facility that will add enough capacity to produce another 57 MW per year of solar modules at the facility, bringing its total capacity to roughly 192 MW per year. The company expects to complete construction early next year and reach full production by mid-2010.
SolarWorld
SolarWorld is a German company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing photovoltaic products worldwide by integrating all components of the solar value chain, from feedstock to module production, from trade with solar panels to the promotion and construction of turn-key solar power plants...
AG opened a manufacturing plant in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, that is expected to produce 500 MW of solar cells per year when it reaches full production in 2011.
Production is also growing for manufacturers of flexible thin-film solar modules. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) — a manufacturer of thin-film modules deposited on flexible
Flexible
Flexible may refer to:* Flexible electrical cable, also known as a power cord* Flexible electronics* Flexible response* Flexible mold* Flextime* Flexible-fuel vehicle* Flexible rake receiver* Flexible spending account, a tax-advantaged savings account...
stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
— has announced plans to build a facility in Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, that will produce 120 MW of solar modules per year. ECD will start construction in fall 2008, with production starting by the end of 2009. ECD has the option of doubling its production capacity in Battle Creek and has plans to reach 1,000 MW of annual production by 2012. Konarka Technologies, Inc. deposits its solar modules onto a flexible plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
substrate
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
, and the company has just reopened a former Polaroid Corporation facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, that has been converted into a production facility for Konarka's "Power Plastic" solar modules. Konarka expects the facility to reach its capacity to produce of 1,000 MW of solar modules per year by 2011. Both companies employ a roll-to-roll processing
Roll-to-roll processing
In the field of electronic devices, Roll-to-roll processing, also known as web processing, reel-to-reel processing or R2R, is the process of creating electronic devices on a roll of flexible plastic or metal foil...
, similar to a newspaper printing press, for the manufacture of their solar modules. The manufacturing process offers the possibility of achieving high production capacities at a lower cost than most solar cell manufacturing plants.
HelioVolt Corporation opened a manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, that will have an initial capacity to produce 20 MW of solar cells per year. Starting with solar "inks" developed at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
that are deposited with ink jets, HelioVolt employs a proprietary "printing" process to produce solar cells consisting of thin films of copper indium gallium selenide, or CIGS
CIGS
CIGS may refer to:* Chief of the Imperial General Staff, a pre-1964 military position in the British Army* Copper indium gallium selenide , a semiconductor absorber material for solar cells...
. The technology won an R&D 100 Award in 2008 and it earned an Editor's Choice Award for Most Revolutionary Technology. HelioVolt's "FASST" reactive transfer printing process is 10–100 times faster than other CIGS production processes and can also be combined with vacuum evaporation
Vacuum evaporation
Vacuum evaporation is the process of causing the pressure in a liquid-filled container to be reduced below the vapor pressure of the liquid, causing the liquid to evaporate at a lower temperature than normal...
or ultrasonic spray deposition techniques. At its new Austin manufacturing plant, HelioVolt plans to produce both solar modules and next-generation building-integrated solar products using its FASST process.
Large-scale PV facilities
Copper Mountain Solar Facility
The Copper Mountain Solar Facility is a 48 megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant in Boulder City, Nevada. Sempra Generation announced on December 1, 2010 that it had finished the project and the facility was generating electricity...
is a 48 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
. Sempra Generation
Sempra Energy
Sempra Energy is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego, California. It divides its interests into two broad categories: Sempra Utilities, including Pacific Enterprises/Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric; and Sempra Global, a holding company for...
constructed the plant in 2010. At its construction peak more than 350 workers were installing the 775,000 First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
panels on the 380 acres (1.5 km²) site.
The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a photovoltaic solar power facility in Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida owned by Florida Power & Light .President Barack Obama attended the plant's commissioning on October 27, 2009...
is a photovoltaic solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
facility in Arcadia
Arcadia, Florida
Arcadia is a city in DeSoto County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,604 as of the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city grew to 7,151. It is the county seat of DeSoto County; it is also DeSoto County's only incorporated community. On October 27, 2009,...
, DeSoto County
DeSoto County, Florida
DeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 32,209. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 35,406 . Its county seat is Arcadia, Florida. The county comprises the Arcadia, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :DeSoto...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
owned by Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light Company, the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. , commonly referred to by its initials, FPL, is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility which serves roughly 4.4 million customers in Florida. FPL Group holds power generation assets in more than 20 U.S...
(FPL).
President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
attended the plant's commissioning on October 27, 2009.
It has a nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
of 25 megawatts (MW) DC and produces an estimated 42,000 megawatt-hours (MW·h) of electricity per year.
The 21 megawatt Blythe Photovoltaic Power Plant
Blythe Photovoltaic Power Plant
The 21 megawatt Blythe Photovoltaic Power Plant is the largest photovoltaic solar project in California. It is located in Blythe, California, in Riverside County about east of Los Angeles. Commercial operation began in December 2009...
is the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar project in California. It is located in Blythe, California
Blythe, California
Blythe is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the "Palo Verde Valley" of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary...
, in Riverside County about 200 miles (321.9 km) east of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Commercial operation began in December 2009. Electricity generated by the power plant is being sold to Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The Davidson County Solar Farm
Davidson County Solar Farm
The Davidson County Solar Farm is a 17.2 megawatt solar power station located in the heart of North Carolina, near the community of Linwood. SunEdison built the array of photovoltaic panels, and Duke Energy buys all the output from the solar farm...
is a 17.2 megawatt solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
station located in the heart of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, near the community of Linwood. SunEdison
SunEdison
Sun Edison LLC owns and operates power plants in North America and provides solar-generated energy to commercial, government, and utility customers. The company provides solar energy services, which include renewable power, monitoring, marketing, renewable portfolio standards, and solar tariff...
built the array of photovoltaic panels, and Duke Energy
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
buys all the output from the solar farm.
The Nellis Solar Power Plant
Nellis Solar Power Plant
The Nellis Solar Power Plant is located within Nellis Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada, on the northeast side of Las Vegas. The Nellis solar energy system will generate in excess of 25 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and supply more than 25 percent of the power used...
is located within Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
in Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, on the northeast side of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The Nellis solar energy system will generate in excess of 25 million kilowatt-hours (kW·h) of electricity annually and supply more than 25 percent of the power used at the base. The system was inaugurated in a ceremony on December 17, 2007, with Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons activating full operation of the 14 megawatt (MW) array.
Other operational PV power plants include:
- Alamosa photovoltaic power plantAlamosa photovoltaic power plantAlamosa photovoltaic power plant, is a 8.22 MWp photovoltaic power plant located in San Luis Valley, Colorado, USA. The power plant was developed by SunEdison, sells all output to Xcel Energy, and was completed in December 2007....
- Blue Wing Solar ProjectBlue Wing Solar ProjectThe 14 megawatt Blue Wing Solar Project is a solar photovoltaic power plant in San Antonio, Texas. The Blue Wing Solar Project covers 113 acres, has 214,500 solar photovoltaic modules, and is expected to produce more than 26 GWh of electricity per year. The solar facility is located near the...
- Brockton BrightfieldBrockton BrightfieldBrockton Brightfield in Brockton, Massachusetts is one of the largest solar power plants in New England. Consisting of 1,395 photovoltaic panels on a site, it has a maximum output of 425 kilowatts. It was officially opened on October 26, 2006....
- Davidson County Solar FarmDavidson County Solar FarmThe Davidson County Solar Farm is a 17.2 megawatt solar power station located in the heart of North Carolina, near the community of Linwood. SunEdison built the array of photovoltaic panels, and Duke Energy buys all the output from the solar farm...
- El Dorado Solar Power PlantEl Dorado Solar Power PlantThe 10 megawatt El Dorado Solar Power Plant is a photovoltaic facility located in Boulder City, Nevada, completed in 2008.The power from El Dorado Solar Power Plant has been sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under separate 20-year contracts.-See also:* List of concentrating solar thermal power...
- Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy CenterSpace Coast Next Generation Solar Energy CenterThe Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a 10-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Commissioned in April 2010, the center is the result of a partnership between NASA and Florida Power & Light...
- Sunset Solar Project
- Wyandot Solar FacilityWyandot Solar FacilityThe 12 megawatt Wyandot Solar Facility is a solar photovoltaic power plant completed in 2010, located in Salem Township, Wyandot County, Ohio. This system uses 159,000 panels spread over 80 acres....
Under construction
The Desert Sunlight ProjectDesert Sunlight Project
The Desert Sunlight Project is a 550 MW solar power plant under construction, that will use approximately 8.8 million cadmium telluride thin-film solar photovoltaic modules made by First Solar. Project construction will take place in two phases, both of which are supported by power purchase...
is a 550 MW solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
plant under construction in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, that will use thin-film solar photovoltaic modules made by First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
.
The Blythe Solar Power Project
Blythe Solar Power Project
The Blythe Solar Power Project is a solar power station under construction in Riverside County, California. The project is being developed by Solarhybrid/Solar Millennium's subsidiary Solar Trust of America, in a joint venture with Chevron Energy Solutions....
is a 500 MW photovoltaic station under construction in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.
The Agua Caliente Solar Project
Agua Caliente Solar Project
The Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona, that will use thin film solar panels manufactured by First Solar...
is a 290 megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility being built in Yuma County, Arizona
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
The California Valley Solar Ranch
California Valley Solar Ranch
The California Valley Solar Ranch is a 250 megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower in the Carrizo Plain, northeast of California Valley. Construction on the project began in September 2011, with approximately 350 jobs expected to be created in San Luis...
(CVSR) is a 250 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant, which is being built by SunPower
SunPower
SunPower Corporation designs and manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, roof tiles and solar panels based on a silicon all-back-contact solar cell invented at Stanford University. SunPower Corporation is publicly traded on the NASDAQ as SPWRA and SPWRB...
in the Carrizo Plain
Carrizo Plain
The Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles long and up to 15 miles across, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California...
, northeast of California Valley
California Valley, California
California Valley is an unincorporated community located in the eastern part of San Luis Obispo County, California, in the northern portion of the Carrizo Plain.Located...
.
The 230 MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch is a First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
photovoltaic project which is under construction in the Antelope Valley area of the Western Mojave Desert, and due to be completed in 2013.
The Mesquite Solar project
Mesquite Solar project
The Mesquite Solar project is a photovoltaic solar power plant being built in Arlington, Maricopa County, Arizona, owned by Sempra Generation.Phase 1 will have a nameplate capacity of 150 megawatts....
is a photovoltaic solar power plant being built in Arlington
Arlington, Arizona
Arlington is a census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about 40 miles west of Phoenix. It follows the street numbering system of Phoenix. As of the 2010 census, the population was 194.- Demographics :...
, Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, owned by Sempra Generation. Phase 1 will have a nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
of 150 megawatts.
The 60 MW Pflugerville Solar Farm is under construction and will use 400,000 solar panels.
Planned PV plants
| Name of Plant | DC Peak Power (MW) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Topaz Solar Farm Topaz Solar Farm Topaz Solar Farm is a proposed 550 megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant, to be built by First Solar, Inc. in the Carrizo Plain, northwest of California Valley at a cost of over $1 billion... |
550 | ** |
| Desert Stateline | 300 | Scheduled to be completed in 2015 ** |
| Solaren Solaren Solaren, Inc. is a Southern California startup corporation created to utilize solar energy for terrestrial electricity usage. The company has a contract under negotiation with Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California to deliver 200 megawatts of power for at least 15 years., starting in 2016... |
200 | space-based, scheduled to be completed in 2016 ** |
| 80 | Scheduled to be completed in 2012 ** | |
| Webberville Texas Solar Plant |
Incentives
A complete list of incentives is maintained at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) (see external link).Most are grid connected and use net metering
Net metering
Net metering is an electricity policy for consumers who own renewable energy facilities or V2G electric vehicles. "Net", in this context, is used in the sense of meaning "what remains after deductions" — in this case, the deduction of any energy outflows from metered energy inflows...
laws to allow use of electricity in the evening that was generated during the daytime. New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
leads the nation with the least restrictive net metering law, while California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
leads in total number of homes which have solar panels installed. Many were installed because of the million solar roof initiative.
Federal
The federal tax credit for solar was extended for eight years as part of the financial bail out billPublic Law 110-343
Public Law 110-343 is an Act of Congress signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush, which was designed to mitigate the growing financial crisis of 2007–2010 by giving relief to so-called "Troubled Assets."...
, H.R. 1424, until the end of 2016. It was estimated this will create 440,000 jobs, 28 gigawatts of solar power, and lead to a $300 billion market for solar panels. This estimate did not take into account the removal of the $2,000 cap on residential tax credits at the end of 2008.
- A 30% tax credit is available for residential and commercial installations. For 2009 and 2010 this is a 30% grant, not a tax credit, for installations begun before the end of 2010 and completed before the end of 2016, thus making it available to those not paying federal tax, such as schools, local governments, and non-profit organizations.
Solar America Initiative
The United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE) announced on September 29, 2008 that it will invest $17.6 million, subject to annual appropriation
Appropriation (law)
In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
s, in six company-led, early-stage photovoltaic (PV) projects under the Solar America Initiative's "PV Incubator" funding opportunity. The "PV Incubator" project is designed to fund prototype PV components and systems with the goal of moving them through the commercialization process by 2010. The 2008 award will be the second funding opportunity released under the PV Incubator project. With the cost share from industry, which will be at least 20%, up to $35.4 million will be invested in these projects. The projects will run for 18 months, and will be subcontracted through DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
.
Most of the projects will receive up to $3 million in funding, with the exception of Solasta and Spire Semiconductor, which will receive up to $2.6 million and $2.97 million, respectively. Massachusetts-based 1366 Technologies
1366 Technologies
1366 Technologies is a company based in Lexington, Massachusetts that has developed a technique to produce silicon wafers by casting them in their ultimate shape directly in a mold, rather than the prevailing standard method in which wafers are cut from a large ingot. The company's management...
will develop a new cell architecture for low-cost, multi-crystalline silicon cells, which will enhance cell performance through improved light-trapping texturing and grooves
Groove (machining)
In manufacturing or mechanical engineering a groove is a long and narrow indentation built into a material, generally for the purpose of allowing another material or part to move within the groove and be guided by it. Examples include:...
for self-aligned metallization fingers. California's Innovalight will useink-jet printing to transfer their "silicon ink" onto thin-crystalline silicon wafers to produce high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells and modules. Skyline Solar
Skyline Solar
Skyline Solar is a Concentrated Photovoltaic company based in Mountain View, California. The company has developed medium-concentration photovoltaic systems to produce electricity for commercial, industrial and utility scale solar markets...
, also in California, will develop an integrated, lightweight, single-axis tracked system that reflects and concentrates sunlight over 10 times onto silicon cells. Solasta, in Massachusetts, is working on a novel cell design that increases currents and lowers the materials cost. Solexel, another California-based company, will commercialize a disruptive, 3D high-efficiency mono-crystalline silicon cell technology that dramatically reduces manufacturing cost per watt. Finally, Spire Semiconductor in New Hampshire will develop three-junction tandem solar cells that better optimize the optical properties of their device layer
Layer
Layer may refer to:* A layer of archaeological deposits in an excavation* A layer hen, a hen raised to produce eggs* Stratum, a layer of rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics...
s; the company is targeting cell efficiencies over 42% using a low-cost manufacturing method.
The PV Incubator project is part of the Solar America Initiative, which aims to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015 (grid parity
Grid parity
Grid parity is the point at which alternative means of generating electricity is at least as cheap as grid power.For solar energy, it is achieved first in areas with abundant sun and high costs for electricity such as in California, Hawaii, Spain and Japan. Many solar power advocates predict that...
).
The Solar America Initiative (SAI) is a part of the Federal Advanced Energy Initiative to accelerate the development of advanced photovoltaic materials with the goal of making it cost-competitive with grid electricity by 2015 (grid parity
Grid parity
Grid parity is the point at which alternative means of generating electricity is at least as cheap as grid power.For solar energy, it is achieved first in areas with abundant sun and high costs for electricity such as in California, Hawaii, Spain and Japan. Many solar power advocates predict that...
).
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) will achieve the goals of the SAI through partnerships and strategic alliances by focusing primarily on four areas:
- Market TransformationMarket transformationMarket transformation describes both a policy objective and a program strategy to promote the value and self-sustaining presence of energy-efficient technologies in the marketplace...
— activities that address marketplace barriers and offer the opportunity for market expansion - Device and Process Proof of Concept — R&D activities addressing novel devices or processes with potentially significant performance or cost advantages
- Component Prototype and Pilot-Scale Production — R&D activities emphasizing development of prototype PV components or systems produced at pilot-scale with demonstrated cost, reliability, or performance advantages
- System Development and Manufacturing — collaborative R&D activities among industry and university partners to develop and improve solar energy technologies
The Solar America Showcases activity is part of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), and preference is given to large-scale, highly visible, highly replicable installations that involve cutting-edge solar technologies or novel applications of solar.
States and local
- Governor Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
has signed legislation requiring California's utilities to get 33 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of 2020. - The San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Board of Supervisors passed solar incentives of up to $6,000 for homeowners and up to $10,000 for businesses. Applications for the program began on July 1, 2008. - BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
initiated a revolutionary program where homeowners are able to add the cost of solar panels to their property tax assessment, and pay for them out of their electricity cost savings. In 2009, more than a dozen states passed legislation allowing property tax financing. In all, 27 states offer loans for solar projects. - The California Solar InitiativeCalifornia Solar InitiativeCalifornia Solar Initiative is a renewable energy program in the United States.As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs Program, California has set a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016 — moving the state toward a cleaner energy future...
has set a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016. - New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
has a $6,000 residential rebate program for up to 50% of system cost for systems less than 5 kWp installed on or after July 1, 2008.
Feed-in Tariff
California has enacted a Feed-in TariffFeed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
. Washington state has a feed-in tariff of 15 ₡/kWh which increases to 54 ₡/kWh if components are manufactured in the state. Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
are also considering feed in tariffs.
In 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled that states were unable to implement above-market feed-in tariffs because setting wholesale electricity rates was pre-empted by the Federal Power Act (FPA).
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates
In recent years, states that have passed Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) or Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) laws have relied on the use of Solar Renewable Energy CertificatesSolar Renewable Energy Certificates
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates or Solar Renewable Energy Credits are a form of Renewable Energy Certificate or "Green tag". SRECs exist in states that have Renewable Portfolio Standard legislation with specific requirements for solar energy, usually referred to as a "solar carve-out"...
(SRECs) to meet state requirements. This is done by adding a specific solar carve-out to the state Renewable Portfolio Standard
Renewable Portfolio Standard
A Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
(RPS). The first SREC program was developed in 2004 by the state of New Jersey and has since expanded to several other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
An SREC program is an alternative to the feed-in tariff
Feed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
model popular in Europe. The key difference between the two models is the market-based mechanism that drives the value of the SRECs, and therefore the value of the subsidy for solar. In a feed-in tariff model, the government sets the value for the electricity produced by a solar facility. If the level is too high, too much solar power is built and the program is more costly. If the feed-in tariff is set too low, not enough solar power is built and the program is ineffective.
Solar thermal power (CSP)
| US Grid-Connected CSP Capacity (MW) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No | Jurisdiction | 2009 |
| United States | 431 | |
| 1 | California Solar power in California Solar power in California has been growing rapidly, because of a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires that 20% of California's electricity come from renewable resources by 2010, and 33% by 2020. Much of this is expected to come from solar power.... |
364 |
| 2 | Nevada Solar power in Nevada Solar power in Nevada has been growing, due to a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires 20% renewable energy by 2015, and 5% from solar power... |
64 |
| 3 | Hawaii Solar power in Hawaii Hawaii's imported energy costs are three times higher, and will soon be close to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Its tropical location provides lots of sun energy that stands to be utilized more effectively in the... |
2 |
| 4 | Arizona Solar power in Arizona Solar power in Arizona has the potential for, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, making Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy"., Arizona has over 100 megawatts of solar power.... |
1 |
Photovoltaics
| US Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Jurisdiction | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 |
| United States | 2,152.5 | 1,255.7 | 791.7 | 474.8 | |
| 1 | California Solar power in California Solar power in California has been growing rapidly, because of a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires that 20% of California's electricity come from renewable resources by 2010, and 33% by 2020. Much of this is expected to come from solar power.... |
1,021.7 | 768.0 | 528.3 | 328.8 |
| 2 | New Jersey Solar power in New Jersey Solar power in New Jersey has been aided by a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires that 22.5% of New Jersey's electricity come from renewable resources by 2021, and by one of the two most favorable net metering standards in the country, along with Colorado, both of with allow unlimited... |
259.9 | 127.5 | 70.2 | 43.6 |
| 3 | Colorado | 121.1 | 59.1 | 35.7 | 14.6 |
| 4 | Arizona Solar power in Arizona Solar power in Arizona has the potential for, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, making Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy"., Arizona has over 100 megawatts of solar power.... |
109.8 | 46.2 | 25.3 | 18.9 |
| 5 | Nevada Solar power in Nevada Solar power in Nevada has been growing, due to a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires 20% renewable energy by 2015, and 5% from solar power... |
104.7 | 36.4 | 34.2 | 18.8 |
| 6 | Florida | 73.5 | 38.7 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 54.8 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 0.9 |
| 8 | New York | 55.5 | 33.9 | 21.9 | 15.4 |
| 9 | Hawaii Solar power in Hawaii Hawaii's imported energy costs are three times higher, and will soon be close to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Its tropical location provides lots of sun energy that stands to be utilized more effectively in the... |
44.7 | 26.2 | 13.5 | 4.5 |
| 10 | New Mexico Solar power in New Mexico Solar power in New Mexico has the potential for supplying most if not all of the electricity in the state. A Renewable Portfolio Standard requires 20% renewable energy by 2020, and 4% from solar power from investor owned utilities, and 10% renewable from rural electric cooperatives.-Parabolic... |
43.3 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 40.0 | 12.5 | 4.7 | 0.7 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 38.2 | 17.7 | 7.5 | 4.6 |
| 13 | Texas | 34.5 | 8.6 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 24.6 | 19.7 | 8.8 | 2.8 |
| 15 | Oregon Solar power in Oregon Solar power in Oregon has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives enacted by the state government.-Government policy:... |
23.9 | 14.0 | 7.7 | 2.8 |
| 16 | Ohio | 20.7 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| 17 | Illinois | 15.5 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| 18 | Maryland | 10.9 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 0.7 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 8.7 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 1.4 |
| 20 | Washington | 8.0 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 1.9 |
| 21 | Delaware | 5.6 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 23 | D.C. | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 3.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| 25 | Vermont | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| 26 | Virginia | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 27 | Michigan | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 28 | Utah | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 30 | Georgia | 1.8 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 1.0 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 32 | Missouri | 0.7 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 33 | Montana | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| 35 | Indiana | 0.5 | 0.3 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 36 | Alabama | 0.4 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 37 | Idaho | 0.4 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 38 | Maine | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| 39 | Mississippi | 0.3 | 0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 41 | Louisiana | 0.2 | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 42 | Nebraska | 0.2 | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 43 | South Carolina | 0.2 | 0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
| 44 | Wyoming | 0.2 | 0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 |
See also
- American Solar Energy SocietyAmerican Solar Energy SocietyThe American Solar Energy Society is an association of solar professionals and advocates in the United States. Founded in 1954, ASES is dedicated to inspiring an era of energy innovation and speeding the transition toward a sustainable energy economy...
- High-voltage direct currentHigh-voltage direct currentA high-voltage, direct current electric power transmission system uses direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses...
- List of photovoltaics companies
- Low-cost solar cell
- National Renewable Energy LaboratoryNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
- Renewable energy in the United StatesRenewable energy in the United StatesRenewable energy accounted for 14.3 percent of the domestically produced electricity in the United States in the first six months of 2011. Hydroelectricity is the largest producer of renewable power in the United States. In 2009, the U.S...
- Solar-charged vehicle
- Solar Energy Industries AssociationSolar Energy Industries AssociationEstablished in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national nonprofit trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is working to build a strong solar industry to power America...
- Venture capitalVenture capitalVenture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
