Reflecting on the Installed Solar Capacity in 2009
Brightstar Solar
Have you ever wondered where the most completed solar installationswere in the United States? You’re right if you said California. It’s by far the leader in installed grid-tied solar capacity, but the other 9states on the list might be a surprise. By the end of 2009, Californiahad an installed cumulative capacity of 1,102 megawatts. The next beststate, New Jersey, had only 128 megawatts. Two New England states,Connecticut and Massachusetts, just barely made the list.
Top 10 States for Grid-tied Cumulative Solar Electric Capacity(according to Solar Energy Industries Association’s 2009 Year in ReviewReport)
- California
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- Colorado
- Arizona
- Florida
- New York
- Hawaii
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
When looking at the entire world, Germany wins the contest ofinstalled capacity hands down with 9,677 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2009. The United States was fourth on the list, behind Spainand Japan, to about 2,000 megawatts. The last year has beenparticularly strong for the U.S. as the solar electric capacity forphotovoltaic and solar concentrating systems shot up 37 percent in 2009compared to 2008. Early reports for 2010 show significant growth inU.S. solar capacity, but it still may not be enough to catch up withJapan.
Top 10 Countries for Cumulative Solar Capacity (according to Solar Energy Industries Association’s 2009 Year in Review Report)
- Germany
- Spain
- Japan
- United States
- Italy
- Czech Republic
- France
- Belgium
Brightstar Solar is a New England-based company that markets, designs, and installs phtotovoltaic systems which provide measurable and meaningful benefits to our customers, our country, and our environment. We enable our residential, commercial, and non-profit customers to create their own clean electricity safely, dependably, and with an attractive return on investment. Our blog covers the latest topics in the solar electric (PV) industry - technology, legislation, incentives, etc. Bloggers include husband and wife team and co-founders of Brightstar Solar, Jon Reese and Mona Reese.