This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(December 2018)
Photovoltaic (foreground) and Solar water heating (rear) panels located on rooftops in Berkeley, California. Note the low tilt of the photovoltaic panels, optimized for summer, and the high tilt of the water heating panels, optimized for winter.Satellite image of Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, California, taken on January 2, 2015, by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8
At the end of 2022, California had a total of 38,145 MW of solar capacity installed, enough to power 10.5 million homes in the state. California ranked as the highest solar power generating state in the nation, with solar power providing for 27% of the state's electricity generation.[2] 63% of solar generation was produced by utility-scale solar farms, with the other 37% produced by distributed generation.[3] The Solar Energy Industries Association predicts that California will increase its solar capacity by over 27,000 MW over the next five years, the second highest increase in solar capacity in the country behind Texas at 36,000 MW.[2]
The state government has created various programs to incentivize and subsidize solar installations, including an exemption from property tax, cash incentives, net metering, streamlined permitting for residential solar, and, in 2020, requiring all new homes have solar panels.
Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants in California. Gold marks denote PV power plants, while red marks represent solar thermal power plants. Size is proportional to total installed capacity.
The early to mid 2010s saw the sharpest increase in solar development.[4] By the end of 2013, California had 490 MW of concentrated solar power and 5,183 MW of photovoltaics capacity in operation.[5]
In 2014, the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm became the new "world's largest operational" solar facility and went online in San Luis Obispo County, California. A second 550 MW facility, Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, went online in Riverside County in 2014, constructed by First Solar. In June 2015, the 579 MW Solar Star facility went online, becoming the new largest operational solar facility and making California host to the three largest photovoltaic solar facilities in the world.[6] There are several proposals for even larger facilities seeking regulatory approval in California, such as the 2.7 GW Westlands Solar Park.
In 2014, California led the nation in the number of homes which have solar panels installed, totaling over 230,000.[7] Many were installed because of the Million Solar Roof Initiative.[8]
In December 2017, the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. The program plans to allocate one billion dollars from the state's greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program to incentivize owners of affordable, multi-family buildings to install solar, with a goal of adding 300MW of capacity by 2030.[9]
In May 2018, the California Energy Commission (CEC) required that nearly all new homes (both single-family and multi-family) under four stories be built with rooftop photovoltaic solar panels .[10] Developers can also receive approval from the CEC to subscribe new homes to local community solar generation.[11] In early 2020, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) was approved to provide community solar to new homes in Sacramento.[12][13][14]
Hourly graph of total CAISO electric demand (green), demand without solar and wind generation (purple), solar (yellow) and wind (blue) generation on May 23, 2023. Note the duck curve's steep rise from 17:00 to 18:00 as the sun sets, requiring some 5 GW of natural gas production to come online within an hour to supply peak demand by 20:00.
Solar systems with battery storage are now much more valuable than systems without battery storage, mostly because new solar generation exacerbates the duck curve (varying power supply from traditional power plants).[16] Solar production causes fossil-fuel power plants to be turned down to minimum during the day, but when solar production stops in the evening peaker plants must quickly ramp generation by 5GW an hour to supply peak demand.[17] New solar generation only displaces other solar generation and increases the supply ramping needed by peaker plants, which is expensive for utilities.[18] Battery storage systems flatten the duck curve by storing solar and wind energy at non-peak hours and discharging it at peak hours. California's most recent net energy metering policy now incentivizes systems with battery storage more than solar systems with no installed storage.
Housing affordability is also a concern with this measure, an area where California already struggles greatly.[19] According to a 2017 survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 37.8% of California homeowners with mortgages are "cost-burdened," with housing costs exceeding 30% of the household income, and 16.3% face housing costs exceeding 50% of the household income.[20] The CEC predicts that the requirement of photovoltaic panels will increase the cost of a newly built single-family home by about $40 per month in extra mortgage payments, but eventually save about $80 on electricity costs.[21] The CEC released data showing that the system would more than pay for itself, however charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity have expressed their concerns as this will require the organization to receive additional donations to pay for the photovoltaic panels that the group would be required to install on every house it builds.[22]
Photovoltaics
Rooftop solar, fitness center building
In 2011, California's goal to install 3,000 MW of distributed generation by 2016 was expanded to 12,000 MW by 2020.[23] California has more photovoltaics installed than any other federal state, and 48% of the U.S. total in 2010. For the first time in 2008 the installed photovoltaics exceeded the state's 354 MW of solar thermal (CSP).[24][25][26] There are plans to build over 15,000 MW of utility scale photovoltaic plants in California.[27] At the end of 2012, small systems of less than 10 kWp were averaging $5.39/W, and large systems of over 500 kWp were averaging $2.77/W.[28]
California has the technical potential to install 128.9 GW of rooftop solar panels, which would generate 194,000 GWh/year, about 74% of the total electricity used in California in 2013. This is environmentally desirable because it would conserve large swaths of desert by placing panels atop preexisting structures instead. However, this would supply three to four times peak midday demand, requiring output to be stored or exported on sunny days.[29]
The 400 MW Rexford solar farm in Tulare County (with 180MW/540MWh of energy storage) received a 15-year power purchase agreement in 2020, expected operational by 2023.[35]
Under construction
The Blythe Solar Power Project is a partially completed 485 MW (235 active as of 2020) photovoltaic power station which is located in eastern Riverside County.
The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm is a 550 MW solar power plant in Riverside County, that uses thin-film solar CdTe-modules made by First Solar. The plant was completed in December 2014.[37]
The Mount Signal Solar project was completed near the Mexican border in May 2014. The installed PV capacity of the solar farm amounts to 265.7MW (206MWAC).[39][40][41]
The Redwood Solar Cluster is a group of 4 smaller solar generating stations that amount to 100 MW located in Kern County. The final phase was completed in March 2018.[42][43]
The Maverick Solar Cluster is a group of 4 operational single-axis tracker photovoltaic power plants. The first part opened in Riverside County in January 2021. The group was completed in August 2022 at 620 MW dc and 457 MW ac, with a 50MW/200MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).[45] They are part of the larger Palen Solar Project.[46][47]
Solar thermal power
Parabolic reflector for the SEGS power plant
California has several large concentrated solar power plants.
The Solar Energy Generating Systems, is a 361MW (was 394MW until 2014) parabolic trough concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert completed in 1990.
The Genesis Solar Energy Project, is a 280MW parabolic trough concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert completed in 2013.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, is a 392MW solar power tower concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert completed in 2014.
The Mojave Solar Project, is a 280MW parabolic trough concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert completed in 2014.
Total operational installed gross power is 1,313MW (1346MW until 2014). Production in 2015 was 2,309 GWh, 71.2% of U.S. total solar thermal generation.[51]
In 2012, the Bureau of Land Management gave priority status to 5 solar project proposals in California.[39] The 750MW McCoy Solar Energy Project was proposed by NextEra, though only 1/3 of that wattage was ever installed. The remaining development of the project is currently[when?] on hold. The 100MW Desert Harvest project has been proposed by enXco. The 664MW Calico Solar Energy Project was redesigned by K Power but later abandoned.[53]
Generation
2017 CA Solar Energy Generation Profile2015 Monthly Solar Energy Profile for CA
In 2022, California generated 62,414 GWh of solar electricity, making up 30% of the state's annual electricity generation. Of this solar energy, 37,237 GWh (59.7%) was produced by utility-scale PV, 23,094 GWh (37%) by distributed PV, and 2,083 GWh (3.3%) by utility-scale thermal.[54]
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides California electricity generation data from 2001. Below is a table of annual and monthly utility-scale solar generation, including thermal and PV generation, alongside the percentage of total annual CA energy generation and percentage of all US solar generation.
California utility solar generation vs. CA total generation & US total solar generation[54][3][55]
Year
% of generation
Utility-scale solar generation in California (GWh)
CA total
US solar
Total
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2001
543
7
13
31
39
81
91
92
85
65
21
14
4
2002
555
11
24
44
46
58
96
86
75
53
31
28
4
2003
533
13
18
50
60
68
91
62
62
56
36
14
4
2004
569
12
10
53
56
81
88
82
73
60
33
15
8
2005
538
8
12
37
57
80
87
71
75
60
37
12
2
2006
495
12
19
32
51
69
68
60
81
53
32
15
3
2007
557
13
19
48
53
83
81
76
64
57
41
20
2
2008
669
12
28
56
71
76
100
90
85
73
46
21
11
2009
647
2
22
55
73
80
81
95
86
69
47
25
12
2010
0.4%
63.5%
771
2
21
51
75
106
121
117
105
86
39
34
14
2011
0.4%
48.2%
887
1
34
49
82
100
130
112
139
102
81
29
28
2012
0.7%
31.9%
1,382
4
36
88
128
176
219
191
152
148
115
72
53
2013
1.9%
42.8%
3,813
65
130
228
239
267
356
345
471
460
408
409
435
2014
5.0%
54.0%
9,932
358
409
711
842
978
1,085
1,000
1,095
1,072
969
809
604
2015
7.53%
59.5%
14,813
680
893
1,256
1,419
1,464
1,515
1,581
1,612
1,336
1,131
1,050
876
2016
9.5%
52.2%
18,807
716
1,195
1,316
1,545
1,924
1,851
2,167
2,145
1,911
1,609
1,389
1,039
2017
11.8%
45.7%
24,352
972
1,087
2,035
2,158
2,726
2,970
2,715
2,511
2,347
2,165
1,335
1,331
2018
13.7%
40.5%
26,986
1,242
1,751
2,005
2,509
3,024
3,253
2,814
2,837
2,689
2,124
1,505
1,233
2019
14.0%
39.4%
28,331
1,265
1,493
2,266
2,629
2,739
3,340
3,366
3,309
2,723
2,494
1,625
1,082
2020
15.0%
33.9%
30,271
1,534
2,074
2,031
2,561
3,395
3,388
3,824
3,181
2,498
2,297
1,936
1,552
2021
17.7%
30.2%
34,863
1,687
2,224
2,869
3,597
3,920
3,813
3,657
3,647
3,180
2,646
2,119
1,504
2022
19.2%
27.0%
39,320
2,098
2,474
3,242
3,651
4,218
4,456
4,288
3,987
3,466
3,221
2,387
1,832
2023
%
%
32,171
1,953
2,327
2,764
3,744
4,244
4,475
4,701
4,281
3,682
Beginning with 2014, the EIA has estimated distributed solar photovoltaic generation and distributed solar photovoltaic capacity.
Estimated Distributed Solar Electric Generation in California[54][56]
Year
Summer Capacity (MW)
Electric energy (GWh)
2014
2350
4,674
2015
3391.4
6,014
2016
5257.9
8,230
2017
6617.8
10,605
2018
7879.5
12,919
2019
15,162
2020
17,407
2021
19,828
2022
23,094
Milestones
On May 13, 2017, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) reported that the state had broken a new renewable energy record, with non-hydro renewables providing 67.2% of the total electricity on the ISO's grid (13.5% was provided by hydropower). The ISO reported that solar was providing approximately 17.2% of the total electricity.
On March 5, 2018, at around 1:00 pm, utility-scale solar energy met 50% of California's total electrical power demand for the first time.[57]
On May 2, 2022, CAISO reported that California's electrical demand was met 100% by renewable energy sources for the first time. This was maintained for nearly 15 minutes. During this period, 12,391 of the 18,000 megawatts (68.8%) of demand were generated by PV systems alone.[58]
Government support
Exemption from property tax
Since 1980, the state government excluded solar installations as taxable improvements on a property.[59][60] This has resulted in many counties seeing no tax benefit from solar farm installations, with some like Kern County stating that they had lost $110 million in property taxes over a decade due to this policy.[59][60]
State legislators felt that the policy was necessary because otherwise the property taxes on solar farms would be four to seven times higher in California than neighboring states, and would thereby incentive all new development of solar to occur out-of-state.[59]:1
Renewable portfolio standard
California's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) sets a minimum of renewable generation from load-serving entities in the state. The most recent RPS was set under senate bill 100 and went into effect January 1, 2019. SB 100 mandates that 60% of California's electricity will be generated by renewable resources by 2030, and 100% will be generated by carbon-free sources by 2045.[61] Much of this is expected to come from solar power.
According to a report by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California failed to meet the 20% renewables by 2010 target. In 2010, Southern California Edison produced 19.4% of its electricity from renewable sources, Pacific Gas and Electric Company generated 17.7% of the electricity it sold from renewable sources, and San Diego Gas & Electric generated 11.9% of its electricity from renewable sources.[62]
As of October 2020, California had 31,288 MW[2] of solar and 5,830 MW[63] of wind farms. California adopted feed-in tariffs, a tool similar to what Europe has been using, to encourage the solar power industry. Proposals were raised aiming to create a small-scale solar market in California that brings the benefits of the German market, such as distributed generation, which avoids the need for transmission because power is generated close to where it is used, and avoid the drawbacks such as excessively high payments that could become a burden on utility customers.[64]
California Solar Initiative
The California Solar Initiative is a 2006 initiative to install 3,000MW of additional solar power by 2016. Included in it is the Million Solar Roof Initiative.[65] In 2011, this goal was expanded to 12,000MW by 2020.[66] As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs Program, California has set a goal to create 1,940 megawatts[67] of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016 – moving the state toward a cleaner energy future and helping lower the cost of solar systems for consumers. The California Solar Initiative has "a total budget of $2.167 billion between 2007 and 2016 and a goal to install approximately 1,940 MW of new solar generation capacity." [68]
According to the CPUC, homeowners, businesses, and local governments installed 158MW of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2008, doubling the 78 MW installed in 2007, giving California a cumulative total of 441MW of distributed solar PV systems, the highest in the country.[69] As of August 2016, 4,216 MW have been installed in 537,647 projects. The average cost of systems less than 10kW is $5.33/watt and $4.38/watt for systems over 10 kW.[70] Of these, 3,391 MW were rooftop solar in 2015.[71]
The CSI initially offered cash incentives on solar PV systems of up to $2.50 per AC watt. These incentives, combined with federal tax incentives, could cover up to 50% of the total cost of a solar system. The incentive program was designed so that the incentives would reduce in steps based on the amount of solar installed in each of 6 categories. There are separate steps for residential and non-residential customers in the territories of each of the State's 3 investor-owned utilities. As of July 2012, the rebates range from $0.20 to $0.35 per AC watt for residential and commercial systems and from $0.70 to $1.10 for systems for non-profits and government entities.[68]
There are many financial incentives to support the use of renewable energy in other US states.[72] CSI provides more than $2billion worth of incentives to customers for installing photovoltaic,[73] and electricity displacing solar thermal[74] systems in the three California Investor-Owned Utilities service territories.
The program was authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission and by the Senate Bill 1 (SB 1):
Decision (D.) 06-01-024, in collaboration with the California Energy Commission, with the goal of installing 3,000 MW of new solar facilities in California's homes and businesses by 2017.
On August 21, 2006, the Governor signed SB1, which directs the CPUC and the CEC to implement the CSI program consistent with specific requirements and budget limits set forth in legislation.
Responsibility for administration of the CSI Program is shared by Investor-Owned Utilities:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company – PG&E customers;
Southern California Edison Company – SCE customers;
California Center for Sustainable Energy – SDG&E customers.
Residential installation starts in early 2007 fell off sharply in SCE territory because of the disincentives inherent in SB1, requiring time-of-use (TOU) tariffs, with the result that homeowners who install panels may find their electric bill increasing rather than decreasing. The governor and legislature moved quickly to pass AB1714 (June 2007) to delay the implementation of this rule until 2009.
California's net energy metering program incentivizes distributed solar generation and battery storage by compensating customers for excess energy they export to the electric grid. A consumer's excess solar generation is bought by the local utility at or below retail pricing when it is exported, allowing consumers to "store" their own generation in the grid to be used at any time.[75]
Net metering was first implemented in 1995 in the passing of Senate Bill (SB) 656, known now as NEM1.
Out of 38 states evaluated in a rating of state net metering policy in 2007, California was one of five states to receive an A.[76]IREC best practices, based on experience, recommends no limits to net metering, individual or aggregate, and perpetual roll over of kWh credits.[77] As California was rapidly approaching the 5% aggregate limit, a May 24, 2012, ruling by the CPUC clarified the calculation of the limit, and requested a report on the cost of net metering.[78][79] California subsequently uncapped the net metering program.[80] Typically states have raised or eliminated their aggregate limits before they were reached.[81] By 2011, 16 states including California received an A for net metering.[82]
In 2013, Assembly Bill (AB) 327 mandated that a successor to the existing NEM1, NEM2, should be adopted by the CPUC. NEM2 went into effect in SDG&E's service territory on June 29, 2016, PG&E's service territory on December 15, 2016, and SCE's service territory on July 1, 2017.[83] One of NEM2's key objectives was to ensure continued growth of distributed solar by removing the 1,000kW limit on new systems. While NEM2 continued to compensate customers with full retail pricing, it also included three charges: a one-time interconnection fee, non-bypassable charges that fund low-income customers, energy efficiency programming and other energy programs, and a time-of-use (TOU) rate.[84]
California's current net metering policy is outlined in the Net Billing Tariff,[85] known as NEM3, which went into effect April 15th, 2023.[86] The Tariff takes into account proposals from various parties, including a lookback study on NEM 2.0 and 1.0.[83] While in NEM1 and 2 customers received credits for energy exported and deducted those credits when importing electricity from the grid at a nearly 1:1 exchange, under NEM3 energy exports are now valued at the avoided cost to the utility — the wholesale price it takes the utility to produce energy. Credits are typically $0.05 per kWh, but when electricity demand is high it can spike up to $2.87 per kWh.[86]
California's net metering policy was rated 19th by Solar Reviews in 2021, California receives a B only because electricity credits include charges and don't pay at full retail rate but at marginal cost.[87]
Mandatory solar power in new homes
In March 2008, Culver City established the first in the nation mandatory solar photovoltaic requirement, which requires an installation of 1 KW of solar photovoltaic power per 10,000 square feet (930m2) of new or major remodeled commercial building area.[88]
In March 2013, Lancaster, California became the first U.S. city to mandate the inclusion of solar panels on new homes, requiring that "every new housing development must average 1 kilowatt per house."[89] In May 2013, Sebastopol followed suit, requiring new buildings include either 2 W/sq ft (21.7 W/m2) of insulated building space of photovoltaics, or enough to provide 75% of the expected annual electricity use.[90]
Since January 1, 2014, California law requires all new buildings less than ten stories tall be "solar ready".[91]
In April 2016, San Francisco mandated that all new buildings less than ten stories tall include solar panels or solar water heating covering at least 15% of the roof, beginning January 1, 2017.[92]
In 2018, the State of California Building Standards Commission approved solar installation requirements for all new residential buildings with three stories or fewer. This requirement took effect in 2020.[93]
Streamlined permitting
California governor Jerry Brown signed a streamlined permitting bill (AB 2188) for residential solar systems on September 22, 2014. AB 2188 has four major provisions designed to reduce red-tape associated with local solar permits and requires that, by the end of September 2015, all California cities and counties must "adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for residential rooftop solar energy systems of less than 10 kilowatts in size."[94] Research and industry reports project the bill could reduce the cost of installing a typical residential solar system in the state by over $1,000.[95]
Alameda County solar financing
Using a 20-year property assessment known as PACE financing, the city of Berkeley had a successful pilot program from 2008 to 2009 as the first city in the country to allow residents to obtain solar power without any initial payment. In the plan, property owners paid as much in increased property taxes as they save in energy costs, allowing them to install the panels for free at no cost to the city. Thirty eight projects were installed for the pilot stage of the program.[96] PACE financing has spread to 28 states, but is on hold in many due to objections by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, including in Berkeley (which has not continued the pilot as a result). Legislation has been introduced to require acceptance of PACE financing.[97]
City of Los Angeles feed-in tariff
The City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power initiated a program on January 11, 2013, to pay up to 17 cents/kWh for electricity generated by up to 100 MW of solar power in a feed-in tariff program. 20 MW is reserved for small projects of less than 150kW each. The program could be expanded to 150 MW in March.[98][99]
Year
Available
2013
40 MW
2014
40 MW
2015
20 MW
Tier
Available
Small systems
Feed in tariff
1
10 MW
2 MW
17 cents/kWh
2
25 MW
5 MW
16 cents/kWh
3
50 MW
10 MW
15 cents/kWh
4
75 MW
15 MW
14 cents/kWh
5
100 MW
20 MW
13 cents/kWh
State challenges with solar power
Energy storage is becoming a more prominent issue because photovoltaic solar panels can only generate electricity during daylight hours and thermal solar installations can only store energy for up to 10 hours, leaving a window in which the state's energy production must be generated from other sources (natural gas, wind, coal, or nuclear). To remedy this, different sorts of power storage solutions have been proposed such as batteries, compressed air, and ice generation.[100]
Another issue is overproduction which is most common during the spring months, when electricity production from wind power is high, but demand from heating and cooling is low.[102] California's solar production was so vast that by 2017, California had to pay Arizona and other states in the region to accept some of its electricity during peak production hours to provide relief to its grid.[103]
California also has aggressive goals when it comes to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs), and the most prominent type is the electric car, which relies on grid power to charge its battery. Plug-in hybrid cars are also very popular in the state. These types of vehicles add to the demand and burden placed on the electrical grid, which was not designed to support the larger electrical loads required by electric vehicles.[104] One potential solution is to bypass most of the grid with the installation of rooftop solar panels for daytime charging and making use of home energy storage at night. Some electric companies will also provide discounted rates for car owners who charge their vehicles at night when demand is lower. Some cars can be programmed to stagger their charging cycle throughout the night. This leads to a steady rate of charging instead of a large spike in the early evening when most commuters return home.[105]
Public opinion
The majority of Californians in desert country support large-scale solar development, according to a 2012 survey conducted on behalf of BrightSource Energy. The survey of more than 1,000 people was conducted throughout Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino counties in California, where many utility-scale solar projects are underway or planned. Survey results showed that nearly four out of five (almost 80 percent) people strongly supported development of solar power in their communities. The survey also found that the majority of people were concerned with climate change. It also found that two-thirds of respondents think renewable energy is important to California's future and that the state and federal government should help provide incentives for renewable energy projects.[106]
Net metering is an electricity billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated. This is particularly important with renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which are non-dispatchable. Monthly net metering allows consumers to use solar power generated during the day at night, or wind from a windy day later in the month. Annual net metering rolls over a net kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit to the following month, allowing solar power that was generated in July to be used in December, or wind power from March in August.
Many countries and territories have installed significant solar power capacity into their electrical grids to supplement or provide an alternative to conventional energy sources. Solar power plants use one of two technologies:
Solar power is a fast-growing industry in Australia. As of September 2023, Australia's over 3.60 million solar PV installations had a combined capacity of 32.9 GW photovoltaic (PV) solar power, of which at least 3,823 MW were installed in the preceding 12 months. In 2019, 59 solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,881 MW were either under construction, constructed or due to start construction having reached financial closure. Solar accounted for 12.4% of Australia's total electrical energy production in 2021.
According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy accounted for about 13.1% of total primary energy consumption and about 21.5% of total utility-scale electricity generation in the United States in 2022.
Financial incentives for photovoltaics are incentives offered to electricity consumers to install and operate solar-electric generating systems, also known as photovoltaics (PV).
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers. This means promising renewable energy producers an above-market price and providing price certainty and long-term contracts that help finance renewable energy investments. Typically, FITs award different prices to different sources of renewable energy in order to encourage the development of one technology over another. For example, technologies such as wind power and solar PV are awarded a higher price per kWh than tidal power. FITs often include a "digression": a gradual decrease of the price or tariff in order to follow and encourage technological cost reductions.
Solar power includes solar farms as well as local distributed generation, mostly on rooftops and increasingly from community solar arrays. In 2022, utility-scale solar power generated 145.6 terawatt-hours (TWh), or 3.4% of electricity in the United States. Total solar generation that year, including estimated small-scale photovoltaic generation, was 204 TWh.
New Jersey has over 4,100 MW of install solar power capacity as of mid-2022, which provides 6.7% of the state's electricity consumption. The's state's growth of solar power is aided by a renewable portfolio standard that requires that 22.5% of New Jersey's electricity come from renewable resources by 2021 and 50% by 2030, by incentives provided for generation of solar power, and by one of the most favorable net metering standards in the country, allowing customers of any size array to use net metering, although generation may not exceed annual demand. As of 2018, New Jersey has the sixth-largest installed solar capacity of all U.S. states and the largest installed solar capacity of the Northeastern States.
Solar power in Arizona has the potential to, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, make Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy". In 2012, Arizona had 1,106 MW of photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems, and 6 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP), bringing the total to over 1,112 megawatts (MW) of solar power. As an example, the Solana Generating Station, a 280 MW parabolic trough solar plant, when commissioned in 2013, was the largest parabolic trough plant in the world and the first U.S. solar plant with molten salt thermal energy storage.
The energy sector in Hawaii has rapidly adopted solar power due to the high costs of electricity, and good solar resources, and has one of the highest per capita rates of solar power in the United States. Hawaii's imported energy costs, mostly for imported petroleum and coal, are three to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Hawaii was the first state in the United States to reach grid parity for photovoltaics. Its tropical location provides abundant ambient energy.
A rooftop solar power system, or rooftop PV system, is a photovoltaic (PV) system that has its electricity-generating solar panels mounted on the rooftop of a residential or commercial building or structure. The various components of such a system include photovoltaic modules, mounting systems, cables, solar inverters and other electrical accessories.
A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building-mounted and other decentralized solar power because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users. Utility-scale solar is sometimes used to describe this type of project.
Solar power in Mexico has the potential to produce vast amounts of energy. 70% of the country has an insolation of greater than 4.5 kWh/m2/day. Using 15% efficient photovoltaics, a square 25 km (16 mi) on each side in the state of Chihuahua or the Sonoran Desert could supply all of Mexico's electricity.
Solar power in Florida has been increasing, as the cost of solar power systems using photovoltaics (PV) has decreased in recent years. Florida has low electricity costs compared with other states, which makes individual solar investment less attractive. Florida ranks ninth nationally in solar resource strength according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and tenth in solar generation by the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Solar power in South Africa includes photovoltaics (PV) as well as concentrated solar power (CSP). In 2016, South Africa had 1,329 MW of installed solar power capacity. Installed capacity is expected to reach 8,400 MW by 2030.
Solar power in Indiana has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives, particularly a 30% federal tax credit for any size project.
Solar power in Oklahoma can provide 44.1% of all electricity used in Oklahoma from 19,300 MW of rooftop solar panels. This scenario is extremely unlikely though because the cost of electricity in Oklahoma is among the lowest in the nation.
Solar power in New Hampshire provides a small percentage of the state's electricity. State renewable requirements and declining prices have led to some installations. Photovoltaics on rooftops can provide 53.4% of all electricity used in New Hampshire, from 5,300 MW of solar panels, and 72% of the electricity used in Concord, New Hampshire. A 2016 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system costing $25,000 before credits and utility savings will pay for itself in 9 years, and generate a profit of $34,196 over the rest of its 25-year life. A loan or lease provides a net savings each year, including the first year. New Hampshire has a rebate program which pays $0.75/W for residential systems up to 5 kW, for up to 50% of the system cost, up to $3,750. However, New Hampshire's solar installation lagged behind nearby states such as Vermont and New York, which in 2013 had 10 times and 25 times more solar, respectively.
Solar power in Vermont provides almost 11% of the state's in-state electricity production as of 2018. A 2009 study indicated that distributed solar on rooftops can provide 18% of all electricity used in Vermont. A 2012 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system costing $25,000 before credits and utility savings will pay for itself in 10 years, and generate a profit of $34,956 over the rest of its 25-year life.
California produces more renewable energy than any other state in the United States except Texas. In 2018, California ranked first in the nation as a producer of electricity from solar, geothermal, and biomass resources and fourth in the nation in conventional hydroelectric power generation. As of 2017, over half of the electricity (52.7%) produced was from renewable sources.
↑ Cohen, Josh (January 8, 2018). "California Will Spend $1 Billion on Low-income, Multifamily Solar". Next City. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2019. California is ready to spend $1 billion over the next decade on rooftop solar installation for low-income residents. In December, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the creation of the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program. Funded by the statewide greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, it will provide $100 million in annual solar installation incentives for the owners of affordable multifamily buildings.
↑ "Electric Power Monthly" |title=Electric Power Monthly (February 2019 with data for December 2018) - Table 6.2.B. Net Capacity from Solar Photovoltaic retrieved 2019 3 17
1 2 3 Anderson, Mark (September 21, 2022). "Newsom signs solar construction tax exemption extension". Sacramento Business Journal. California has extended a property tax exclusion for new solar energy systems to incentivize the construction of large-scale solar plants to meet the state's electrification goals. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1340 on Sunday, continuing a property tax exclusion for new solar systems until the end of 2026. ... The exclusion continues what has been California law, in some form, since 1980.
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