Top 10 Solar Energy Facts

1. Today, demand for solar in the United States is at an all time high. As of the end of 2018, the U.S. had 64.2 GW of installed solar–enough to power 12.3 million American homes.
2. Expanding solar power is essential to meet climate goals. The International Energy Agency illustrated what changes would need to be made in the energy sector to limit global warming to 2°C from the pre-industrial level, based on “the climate sensitivity of the planet” that “scientists believe most likely.” In that scenario, solar energy exhibits the “fastest growth,” providing “more than 10% of global electricity by 2050.”
3. According to our Electric Power Annual, solar power accounted for 3% of U.S. electricity generation from all sources in 2020. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast that solar will account for 4% of U.S. electricity generation in 2021 and 5% in 2022. (ISEA)
4. Through 2019, the top corporate solar users in America have installed more than 8,300 MW of capacity across more than 38,000 different facilities across the country.
5. Solar energy technologies continue to advance at a record pace. The solar market is also gaining momentum as evidenced by the latest jobs report from the Solar Foundation, which showed that the solar industry is creating jobs six times faster than the overall job market. (ISEA)
6. The first silicon solar cell, the precursor of all solar-powered devices, was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954. On page one of its April 26, 1954 issue, The New York Times proclaimed the milestone, “the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams — the harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization.”
7. The space industry was an early adopter of solar technology. In the 1960s the space industry began to use solar technology to provide power aboard spacecrafts. The Vanguard 1 — the first artificial earth satellite powered by solar cells — remains the oldest manmade satellite in orbit – logging more than 7 billion miles to date!
8. Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth – 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously. That’s more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use.
9. Solar energy emits much fewer greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. A special report by the International Panel on Climate Change’s Working Group III examined hundreds of estimates of greenhouse gas emissions, and compiled the results of the most thorough studies. Their results showed that renewable energy has a substantially lower impact than fossil fuels over the lifespan of each power source.
10. Using solar energy produces no air or water pollution and no greenhouse gases.

Solar development on public and private lands offers many benefits, from reducing the threat of climate change to creating green energy jobs. Large-scale projects can have massive impacts on reducing large amounts of carbon emissions. By focusing development in smart/efficient locations and off-setting or mitigating environmental impacts, we can help end climate change.