/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/QCYHBZH2MNJJPJQT77NPHZ5XDU.jpg "China S and solar power capacity hit record growth in 2022 Industry Body Reuters")
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar panel shipments to the United States, including imports, exports, and panels manufactured and shipped domestically, are expected to increase to 28.8 million. kilowatts (kW) of installed power generation capacity in 2021. That was it. 21.8 million kW maximum in 2020.
About 80% of solar panel module shipments to the United States in 2021 were imported primarily from Asia.
The EIA states in its data report:
U.S. Solar Panel Shipments Closely Track Domestic Solar Capacity Increase; the differences between the two usually stem from the time between shipping and installation. We categorize solar capacity additions as utility-scale (structures 1 megawatt and larger) or small-scale (primarily residential solar installations).
The United States added 13.2 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar capacity by 2021. This is a record for the year and 25% more than the 10.6 GW of utility-scale solar energy added in 2020.
Small-scale solar installations in the United States added 5.4 GW in 2021, up 23% from 2020, when 4.4 GW was added. Residential installations accounted for more than 3.9 GW of small-scale installations in 2021, compared to 2.9 GW in 2020.
As Electrek reported on August 29, Bloomberg NEF (BNEF) reported that US homeowners plan to install a record 5.6 GW of residential solar power in 2022. BNEF projects that by 2030 it will will surpass commercial solar every year.
In 2021, five states accounted for 46% of all US solar panel shipments. The first five states were:
It is clear that solar energy will only continue to grow in the United States, and there are several reasons for this. Electricity and fossil fuel costs are rising and are not expected to fall. Compare that to the falling cost of solar panels, which fell 11% from 2020 to 2021. And that's despite project delays, supply chain issues, and the Commerce Department's investigation into U.S. solar production. in Southeast Asia.
When homeowners purchase a solar storage system, payments are based on the number of years they choose to pay back if they don't pay cash. And those bills won't go up, unlike electricity or fuel like propane or oil. (That, along with wanting to reduce our emissions, is one of the reasons I'll be installing solar panels on the roof, along with two Tesla Powerwalls.)
And the recently passed anti-inflation law is expected to trigger a clean energy boom. Just yesterday, we reported that First Solar, the largest solar panel maker in the United States, has announced that it will invest $1.2 billion to increase solar panel production in America. The company's CEO cited the anti-inflation law as the catalyst for the announcement. Many other national clean energy initiatives will follow other companies.
We expect a report from the EIA on solar cell shipments in 2021 by this time next year. It certainly sets a new mark.
Learn more. Here's how the US Climate Act will lower home energy bills
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