The United States has surpassed five million solar installations, eight years after reaching its first million in 2016, according to data released Thursday by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
The milestone encompasses installations on homes, businesses, and large ground-mounted systems, with residential rooftops accounting for 97% of all installations.
“Today, 7% of homes in America have solar, and this number will grow to over 15% of US homes by 2030,” stated SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.
The data reveal that more than half of the country's solar installations have been added since the beginning of 2020, with over 25% coming online following the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act 20 months ago. California leads the nation with two million installations, although recent policy changes have affected its rooftop solar market.
SEIA projects that the number of US solar installations will double to 10 million by 2030 and triple to 15 million by 2034.
A March report by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie highlighted that the US added a record 32.4 GW of solar capacity in 2023, marking a 51% increase year-over-year.