The Top 5 Solar States in 2021
| Sullivan Solar Power
Solar energy is a renewable and finite resource and is a great alternative for fossil fuels. Renewable energy is very important, as it decreases the amount of CO2 emissions that are being emitted into the atmosphere every day.
The United States is the second largest solar installer in the world. The United States has installed 102.8 GWdc solar capacity, which is equivalent to powering about 18,600,000 homes. In the year 2020, the United States added a record breaking 8 gigawatts to the grid. The top five solar states are California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona.
Taking the lead in the United States for the solar revolution is California with about 32,394 megawatts of cumulative solar capacity. That is equivalent to supplying power to about 8,430,324 homes. California has the most solar installations out of all the states by a landslide, producing about 31% of the energy capacity in the United States.
In second place we have Texas, who has installed about 11,063 megawatts of cumulative solar capacity. That is equivalent to about 1,297,592 homes supplied by solar energy. However, out of all 50 states, Texas had the most solar installations in the first quarter of 2021. They installed about 1,525 megawatts, which is about fourteen percent of its total solar capacity.
Third in the country is Florida, with about 7,681 megawatts of cumulative solar capacity which is equivalent to supplying power for about 908,181 homes. Florida was also ranked third for the number of solar installations complete in the first quarter of 2021.
North Carolina is not too far behind Florida with solar installations. They have installed about 7,228 megawatts of cumulative solar capacity which is equivalent to supplying power for about 846,689 homes.
In fifth place is Arizona who has installed about 6,112 megawatts of cumulative solar capacity which is equivalent to supplying power to about 907,817 homes. One of the reasons why Arizona is a top state for solar is because it is home to the Agua Caliente Solar Project, which is the fourth largest solar installation in the United States. The project site alone holds about 27% of the solar energy in Arizona, powering approximately 225,000 homes annually.