~115 GW, thru 3Q, 2021. That’s up from 16.5 GW of US solar, farther below, in early 2017.
Enough sunlight strikes Earth every 104 minutes to power the world for a year. Solar can power the US 100 times over.
US solar PV already offsets carbon emissions of 3.5 million cars. Rooftop PV can meet 1/5 of US electric demand.
US solar industry jobs grew 50% since 2010. Solar workers now outnumber coal miners 2 to 1. - Mother Jones
Translating $ / Watt peak (above) to ¢ / kWh (left).
€3 ~ $3.3 now, so the scale at left is to US 90¢ / kWh.
Solar electricity prices fell from 40-56¢ / kWh in 2009 to 7-17¢ / kWh in 2015.
They are projected to fall to 5-11¢ / kWh in 2020.
Solar Power May Be Cheaper than Coal in India by 2020 - 1115.rtf
prices are in Rupees (~1.5¢US): 0-16 Rupees/kWh
Data from SEIA.
The Institute for Self Reliance website projects states when & where solar PV costs will reach parity with grid power costs.
Comparing the maps below and above, the 7 western-most contiguous states and Massachusetts exceed the projections, while the other states installed fewer MW than projected. The US total is 7% more than projected.
Potential Installed MW Capacity & % of Residential Electricity Sales from Solar at Parity - from 2012, No incentives, resid., 20% utility cap.
2021: ~185 GW of solar PV (1/6 of all GW now) projected by 2022
Rooftop Solar Increases Share of China’s Booming Solar Market 1025.rtf
China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance 1025.rtf
Solar Tops EU Power Mix in June with Record 22% Share 0925.rtf
As China Goes, So Goes the Climate 0925.rtfGlobal Solar Installations Up 64% So Far This Year 0925.rtfPakistan Is Sold on Solar. It’s Not about Going Green. 0925.rtfUS Solar Plant Construction Is on a Record-Breaking Spree — for Now 0825.rtfHow China's Clean Energy Is Changing Other Countries’ Emissions 0825.rtfChina’s Forecast for Solar Growth in 2025 Rose to 300 GW 0825.rtfWith Solar Power 41% Cheaper, Fossil Fuels Are ‘Running Out of Road’ - UN Chief 0725.rtfChina Installed More Solar Power in May 2025 than Any Other Nation in All of 2024 - 0625.rtfChina's Solar and Wind Outweigh Fossil Fuels. Renewables Reign. 0525.rtfPacifiCorp Aims to Add 4.7 GW Renewables, 1.7 GW Storage by 2031 - 0425.rtfElectrifying Africa Might Finally Be under Way 0325.rtfSolar Energy, Criticized by Trump, Claims Big U.S. Gain in 2024 - 0325.rtfTexas Added More Solar & Battery Storage than Any Other Power Source in 2024 - 0225.rtfChina’s Installed Renewables Achieved Yet Another Record in 2024 - 0125.rtfEU Solar Power Generation Overtook Coal for 1st Time in 2024 - 0125.rtfThe US Is Making and Deploying More Solar Panels than Ever Before 1224.rtfSurprise Solar Boom in Pakistan Helps Millions, But Harms Grid 1124.rtfEU's Solar Plans in SE Asia Caught in US-China Trade War 0924.rtf$500 Billion into Solar in 2024 - 0824.rtfClick for moreMap of Solar & Wind Resources in China
Section Map: Renewable Energy