The US solar results for 2021 are out, and full of good news. At a time when energy and climate change are on our minds even more than usual, here are five takeaways worth holding onto.
1. 2021 was the biggest year ever for solar
Solar had a banner year. According to the latest from analysts at Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the US solar industry installed 23.6 gigawatts (GW, or million kilowatts) in 2021. That’s 19 percent more than in 2020, which itself had been a record breaker, and 77 percent more than in 2019. And that took it soaring past the 100 GW cumulative mark in 2021.
Last year solar was the biggest source of new US electric generating capacity, accounting for 46 percent, according to WoodMac/SEIA. That makes the third year in a row it was number one!
2. Solar made serious progress across the board
Solar didn’t just…
Solar Energy’s Latest Record Breaker: 5 Takeaways
