According to
GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association new solar PC capacity in the United States set a new record in 2015. 7.3 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) were installed, exceeding natural-gas capacity additions for the first time. In 2015 solar was up 17% over 2014 and represented almost a third of new electric generating capacity additions in the U.S.
More than half of the new solar PV additions were utility-scale solar farms which was also a new record. Over 4 GW of utility-scale solar PV were installed which represents 6 percent year-over-year growth in this segment. The residential solar market grew 66 percent year-over-year. The non-residential market installed more than one gigawatt of new capacity in 2015, about the same as what was installed in this segment in 2014.
The increasing rate of installations has been driven partially by dropping prices.
87% of U.S. solar PV capacity is concentrated in 10 states.
Total U.S. solar PV capacity now exceeds 25 GW, which is remarkably rapid growth when compared to 2010 when only 2 GW had been installed.
For comparison according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) in 2014 about 2,500 turbines were installed, representing nearly 4.9 GW of new wind capacity. Wind energy represented 28 % of new generating capacity installed in 2010-2014. U.S. total wind generating capacity at the end of 2015 was 65.9 GW.
Capacity is one thing and actual generation another. According to the
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in 2014 actual generation statistics show that coal, natural gas, and nuclear led by a wide margin followed by conventional hydroelectric, wind and solar.
Generation (Thousand MWh)
Coal 1,581,710
Natural gas 1,126,609
Nuclear 797,166
Hydroelectric 259,367
Wind 181,655
All solar 27,227
Utility-scale solar 17,691
Distrib solar 9,536
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