March 12, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt

Solar capacity installation grew in 2014, and 10 states took the lead on new installation. The states are ranked on the number of megawatts (MW) installed per state and number of houses powered per megawatt of solar added, according to the Solar Industry Energy Association (SEIA).

A 2014 solar installation at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM. Credit: Energy.gov

California came in first for the amount of new installed solar in 2014, with 4,316 MW -- in more than 1 million homes. According to SEIA, California installed more solar in 2014 than the entire country did between 1970 and 2011.

Even though North Carolina installed the second-most solar in 2014, their installations equalled less than 10 percent that of California. The state accounted for 396.6 MW of new installed solar, in 43,000 homes. North Carolina also accounts for more solar capacity than all other Southeast states combined.

Just behind North Carolina is Nevada -- with 339.3 MW of solar installations. According to SEIA, Nevada has more solar jobs per capita than any other state in the country, including California.

Massachusetts and Arizona round out the top five -- with 308.2 MW and 246.6 MW installed in 2014, respectively. From 2013 to 2016, more than 900 MW of fossil fuel plants will come offline in Massachusetts, partially due to the solar installations in the state. In Arizona, all new utility-scale electric generating capacity in 2014 came from solar. Arizona is one of only four states with that distinction -- along with Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont.

The states that also made it into the top 10 include New Jersey, New York, Texas, Hawaii and New Mexico. The installations in those states range anywhere from 239.8 MW to 88.2 MW.

SEIA's report also "remixed" the numbers, based on different factors. For instance, when quantifying solar installation by solar capacity per capita, Hawaii comes in first -- at 321 watts per person. California is fourth for solar capacity per capita, at 262 watts -- behind Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada.

However, in terms of solar jobs, California is still number one -- with 54,700. Massachusetts, Arizona, New York and New Jersey follow -- with 9,400, 9,200, 7,280 and 7,200, respectively.

Solar is expected to grow in the future -- and although many states are catching up, California continues to be the leader in solar installations, something that will likely continue with the many new solar projects expected in the state in 2015.

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