How Solar Has Evolved in a Decade | The Last 10 Years in The Solar Industry

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April 22, 2020 | By RGR Marketing Blog

Welcome to the 2020s – The Solar+ Decade

The SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) has named the 2020s the Solar+ Decade. The name was given because this is the decade where solar is expected to collaborate with a variety of other industries to revolutionize how the United States produces, stores, and consumes energy. In other words, it will be a decade of Solar + Finance, Solar + Storage, Solar + Trade, Solar + Grid Modernization, and more.

This is an important decade for solar because by 2030, the SEIA’s goal is to have solar energy account for 20 percent of all U.S. electricity generation. As with any type of growth, it always pays to look back to see how you got to where you are today. So with that in mind, here’s how solar has evolved over the last decade.

The Cost of Solar Plummeted

Since 2010, the cost of solar technology has fallen by a whopping 70 percent. This is arguably the most important development of the last decade because it made solar so much more easily obtainable for homeowners. Whereas a standard residential rooftop installation once cost about $40,000 in 2010, today, that same system can be installed for about $18,000.

Utility-Scale Projects Skyrocketed

Another benefit of falling prices has been the surge of utility-scale solar installations. In 2010, there were just a few dozen utility-scale solar plants in the U.S. In just ten years, that number has climbed to nearly 3,000.

Solar Job Numbers Doubled

Just one year into the last decade saw solar job numbers break the 100,000 mark for the first time. But over the next four years, job numbers would double to well over 200,000.

Solar Technology Improved in Quality and Durability

There were numerous advances made in solar technology during the 2010s that have shaped the future of the industry in terms of quality, dependability, and durability. Some of the more noteworthy changes included:

Multi silicon modules were replaced by higher-efficiency mono silicon-based modules
Modules started being based on larger wafers (158 mm and above)
Innovative module techniques such as shingles and half-cuts were introduced
Advanced cell architectures such as passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC), interdigitated back contact (IBC), heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer, and bifacial cell technologies were incorporated into modules for the first time

First Cities Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy

In 2014, the city of Burlington, Vermont became the first city in the country to have 100 percent of its energy demand generated by renewable energy sources. Later in the decade, Aspen, Colorado and Georgetown, Texas would follow in Burlington’s footsteps.

California Becomes First State to Pass Solar Mandate

In 2018, the state of California passed the nation’s first solar mandate that required all new homes being built to include solar systems suitable for meeting 100 percent of the home’s energy demand. The mandate didn’t go into effect until January 1, 2020, but the bill was created and passed in the late stages of the 2010s.

Solar Installations Pass 1 Million and Then 2 Million

It took 40 years for the United States to surpass one million solar installations, which it did back in 2016. But it took just three more years for the number to double to over two million installations.

Get the Solar Leads You Need to Keep the Momentum Going in 2020

The solar industry, as much as it has grown over the last decade, is still growing, and fast. That said, now is no time to rest on your laurels. Get the solar leads you need to keep your momentum going in 2020 and beyond. RGR Marketing can provide you with exclusive access to high-quality solar leads that can make a difference in your sales numbers this year. Contact us today to find out how our expertise can benefit your solar installation company’s profit potential.

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Welcome to the 2020s – The Solar+ Decade

The Cost of Solar Plummeted

Utility-Scale Projects Skyrocketed

Solar Job Numbers Doubled

Solar Technology Improved in Quality and Durability

First Cities Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy

California Becomes First State to Pass Solar Mandate

Solar Installations Pass 1 Million and Then 2 Million

Get the Solar Leads You Need to Keep the Momentum Going in 2020

Start making more
money today!

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Welcome to the 2020s – The Solar+ Decade

The Cost of Solar Plummeted

Utility-Scale Projects Skyrocketed

Solar Job Numbers Doubled

Solar Technology Improved in Quality and Durability

First Cities Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy

California Becomes First State to Pass Solar Mandate

Solar Installations Pass 1 Million and Then 2 Million

Get the Solar Leads You Need to Keep the Momentum Going in 2020

Start making more money today!

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