“Solar Industry Playing Critical Role in Creating Jobs, Driving Innovation and Maintaining US Competitiveness"

Rhone Resch,
Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA)

 

 

The solar industry was able to continue its immense upswing in 2010.  Due to research and development, but also increasingly due to the promotion of the industry and support for electric utilities, the industry has been able to put itself in a competitive position.

Photovoltaic (PV):

• By the end of 2009, approximately 1,67 GW of PV capacity were installed in the US, therefore in the course of 2010 another gigawatt of new capacity was able to be installed. (A doubling of the amount of capacity installed in the course of 2009)

• The states with the highest amount of construction are, similar to Europe, those with the most appealing incentives.  Leading the movement is the undefeated California (786 MW), followed by New Jersey (127.5 MW), Colorado (59.1 MW) and Arizona (46.2 MW)

• Currently large-scale plants with a capacity of almost 14 GW in the PV industry are in the development or building stages

• Meanwhile, approximately 100,000 Americans are employed in the solar industry

 

Solar Thermal Power Plants:

• The installed capacity of solar thermal power plants (Concentrated Solar Power – CSP) was 431 MW by the end of 2009

• California by far has the highest installed CSP capacity with 364 MW (worth mentioning is Nevada with an installed capacity of 64 MW)

• Currently large-scale plants with a capacity of 10.9 GW in the CSP industry are in the development or building stages

 

Source: U.S. Department of Energy: "2009 Renewable Energy Data Book", www.seia.orghttp://www.seia.org/