In 2010, solar provided just 0.1 percent of the U.S.’s total energy consumption (beyond just electricity generation). The 2010s was a particularly important decade for solar both nationwide and at the state level. Several community solar programs exist in North Carolina, particularly in cooperative and municipal utility territories. Residential solar has been slower to take off less than 1 percent of households have rooftop solar, partially for economic and regulatory reasons (e.g., low electricity rates in the Southeast).Īlthough not a large player, community solar represents another way people can reap the benefits of renewable energy without investing in the technology themselves. more broadly, utility-scale solar makes up most of North Carolina’s solar facilities. More than 7 percent of the state’s electricity generation comes from solar (compared to just over 2 percent nationally). Utility-scale facilities are generally at least 250 kilowatts but can exceed 100 megawatts (MW), with panels that are either fixed-tilt or tracking.Īt the end of the 3 rd quarter of 2021, North Carolina ranked fourth in installed solar capacity nationwide, with over 7,000 MW. Utility-scale solar - typically in the form of large ground-mounted solar farms with the specific purpose of selling energy to the local utility - has been the primary contributor to solar’s rise. Energy information Administration, the country is expected to see substantial growth in solar capacity in the coming years as it becomes a major source of generation, thanks in part to declining costs.

Advanced Energy’s Farmer kicked off the webinar by discussing the current and future landscape of solar in the U.S.

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