Industry report shows growth in home solar panel installations, Texas
Solar power installations are growing rapidly, on track to double over the next five years according to a new report from solar industry analysts Wood Mackenzie and SEIA.
Their data also shows Texas ranking #3 in the nation for overall solar power installed in 2019, and #4 in the nation for residential solar.
- The U.S. solar market added 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaics in the third quarter, increasing total U.S. solar capacity to 71.3 GW. This represents a 45% increase from Q3 2018 and a 25% increase from Q2 2019!
- The U.S. saw record-setting residential solar capacity added with more than 700 MW installed!
- 21.3 GW of new utility PV projects were announced from Q1 to the end of Q3, bringing the contracted utility PV pipeline to a record high of 45.5 GW!
- The total amount of solar installed in America is enough to power 13.5 million homes!
Residential Solar Installation Data
- California continues to be the largest residential market, installing nearly 300 MW in Q3 2019.
- 14 additional states had record quarters, ranging from top 10 markets like Florida and Texas to smaller markets in Idaho and New Mexico.
- The top 5 states for home solar installations in Q3 2019 were California #1, Florida #2, Arizona #3, Texas #4, and Nevada #5.
“From 2019-2021, residential growth will range from 8% to 18% due to both emerging markets with strong resource fundamentals like Florida and Texas.”
Utility Scale Solar Installation Data
Utility PV can be thought of as the massive fields of solar panels that together form a solar power plant. Utility PV maintained the largest share of installed capacity in the U.S. solar market this quarter.
- A total of 1.4 GW of utility PV capacity came online in Q3 2019.
- A whopping 10.4 GW of projects are currently under construction, a record high for U.S. utility-scale solar!
- 5.4 GW of projects have been announced in Texas. While most projects have utility or corporate offtakers, a growing portion of them are being built as merchant projects to sell power directly into the ERCOT market.
- The contracted pipeline has now reached 45.5 GW, the highest it has ever been in the history of U.S. utility-scale solar!
Takeaways: Why It Matters
In 2010 there were just 2 states with over 100 MW of installed solar capacity, California and North Carolina. This new industry report shows Texas installed nearly 500 MW of solar in just the first nine months of 2019, nearly 1 GW (1,000 MW) in 2018, and 713 MW in 2017.
Power generation from solar is growing at an exponential rate all across America including Texas.
Homeowners and corporations are saving vast amounts of money by producing their own electricity with solar panels. Even utilities are choosing solar over “traditional” power resources like coal and natural gas because its a cost-competitive, long-term solution.
Wells Solar serves customers throughout Texas with high-quality solar power solutions designed to reduce or eliminate home power bills. Learn more about our Residential Solar Power Solutions In Texas or Contact Us to schedule a FREE no-obligation solar consultation.
About Wells Solar
Founded in 2014 in Austin, Wells Solar & Electrical Services is a family-owned establishment committed to installing high-quality solar power solutions that everyone can afford. The company also offers a full suite of solar panel service, maintenance and repair to ensure your solar investment provides the maximum return over its 25-year life. Find out why Wells Does Solar Better™ by visiting wellssolar.com.
