How Far Solar Technology Has Come in the Last Decade

In 2010 incredible advances happened in the solar industry, making it a milestone decade for clean energy in the United States. At the start of 2010, solar panels were niche technology that hadn’t quite reached its full potential in the market. In 10 short years, the industry has expanded to provide clean energy options for many homeowners and businesses across the country. Now that the decade has come to a close, it’s estimated that millions of people nationwide benefit from solar energy.

Advances in Solar Energy in the Past 10 Years

Here are some of the most notable solar milestones our country has experienced in the past 10 years:

• Jobs Created: The National Solar Job Census reported that an estimated 100,237 employees worked in the solar industry in August 2011. This number doubled by 2015, with over 200,000 workers only 4 years later – and the workforce numbers continue to grow.
• 1 Million Mark: A milestone was reached in May 2016 when the millionth solar installation happened here in the United States. It took us 40 years to get there! The next million solar power systems were installed in a short 3 years, with the milestone of 2 million solar installations reached by 2019.
• Electricity Generation: Solar generation has increased significantly, with 25x more energy generated by solar today (compared to 10 years ago). In 2010, only 0.1% of electricity in the U.S. came from solar power. Now, 2.5% of electricity is generated through solar.
• Availability: The increase in energy generation is an important step in making clean energy accessible to all families. At the beginning of the decade, only 777,000 homes were powered by solar. Now, we have enough solar capacity to provide energy for 13.5 million homes in the country.
• Affordability: Technology developments have made solar equipment much more affordable, with prices dropping by 70% compared to the costs in 2010.

Congress has made solar more affordable by offering a solar tax credit program that started in 2015 and will continue through the end of 2021. The Federal Tax Credit is 26% for 2020 and these tax credits will be ramping down each year, so don’t delay if you are ready to join the millions of people who benefit from solar power at home. To find out more about how you can go solar too, call one of our solar experts at New Day Solar – (855) 444-6329 or you can visit our website at: www.newdaysolar.com.  We have been installing solar since 1988 in Southern California and will always give you honest answers to your solar questions.