California has 10 times more solar than entire U.S. in 2007

June 17, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt

California has reached a major milestone in solar -- by achieving 10,000 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report produced by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Annual U.S. solar installations. Credit: SEIA

According to SEIA, this means California now has more solar capacity than many countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, and Belgium.

More than 700 MW of that capacity was installed in the first quarter of 2015 alone, pushing the total to 10,649 MW in the state. Of that 718 MW installed in Q1, 231 MW was residential, 88 MW was commercial, and 399 MW was utility scale. That represents a total $1.7 billion investment in solar in the state of California in the first three months of 2015.

"When it comes to creating clean energy jobs and protecting the environment, California is showing the world how to get the job done," said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO, in a statement. "To put the state's remarkable progress in some context, today California has 10 times more installed solar capacity than the entire nation had in 2007. We congratulate Gov. Brown, his administration, legislative leaders and the people of California for being at the forefront of America's efforts to create a vibrant and growing clean energy economy."

In comparison, Nevada added the second-most new solar capacity in Q1 of 2015 -- or 97 MW, a 272 percent increase over Q1 in 2014. That brings the total in the state to 886 MW.

SEIA explained that public policies are largely responsible for the growth of solar in California, including programs like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), and Net Energy Metering (NEM). Gov. Jerry Brown's renewable goals have helped spur forward the renewable industry in the state.

"In the first quarter of this year, California benefitted from the completion of the massive Desert Sunlight project, developed by First Solar and located in the Mojave Desert," SEIA said in a statement. "Desert Sunlight has the capacity to generate 550 MW of electricity, which is enough to power 160,000 California homes."

In the residential market, lowered prices have helped adoption of solar -- with installed system prices dropping 4 percent from 2014 to 2015, and nearly 50 percent from 2010 to 2015. This continued price drop is expected to help solar grow even further, "especially in light of a recent report by the California Energy Commission, which shows that more than a quarter of all new homes being built in Southern California are being constructed with solar energy systems," SEIA explained.

According to the association, solar is the fastest-growing renewable source in the United States, and is supported by 9 out of 10 Americans. In the state of California alone, there are 2,226 solar companies operating -- employing nearly 55,000 Californians.

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