Solar Energy Facts for 2022

Understanding solar energy facts and statistics can help you better understand your personal solar needs as well as get a better grip on the solar industry overall. Most California residents already know some solar facts such as:

• It’s a truly renewable energy source which can be harnessed in all areas of the world, every single day.
• It reduces electricity bills and saves you money over time.
• It can be used for diverse purposes, such as electricity and heat.
• It has low maintenance costs year-round.
• It’s technology is constantly improving – bringing costs down.

There are other facts and statistics which are newer in 2022 offering deeper insights into solar energy technology and usage. If you are considering switching to solar energy this year, here’s 9 new solar energy facts for you to consider.

#1 According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the EIA, solar power will account for nearly half of new U.S. electric generating capacity in 2022. The most planned additions will be in Texas followed by California. 

#2 Solar power is the key to a clean energy future. It is a free, almost endless source of energy that can be harnessed with modern technology, like photo-voltaic, solar thermal electricity, solar heating, solar architecture, and artificial photosynthesis.

#3 According to the latest statistics, our planet gets 174 Petawatts of incoming solar radiation in the upper atmosphere, from which 30% is reflected back to space and the other 70% is absorbed by the oceans, clouds, and landmasses.

#4 According to Forbes, 122 million metric tons of carbon emissions are reduced annually through the introduction of solar energy. This is equivalent to 27 million vehicles off the road, 14 billion gallons of gas not used, 2 billion trees planted and 31 coal-fired plants shuttered.

#5 The global solar energy industry has had a 42% average annual growth rate in the past ten years. 

This percentage in the U.S. is a large chunk of that, as 13.4% of homes in the US projected to have solar installations by 2030. 

#6 The U.S., especially North Carolina, California, Texas and New York, which are key drivers of solar demand, are considered to be the world’s second-largest solar market after China.

#7 Many spaceships are using solar energy for power, so solar energy is becoming a necessity for many space missions in almost all countries worldwide.

#8 Solar energy is also becoming the preferred power source on occasions where the need for power is temporary. Such as mining sites, county and state fairs, and events like the Olympics.

#9 The price of solar batteries are falling. There are two main types of solar batteries, lead-acid batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.

The second type, which lasts longer, is more advanced and has better performance and consequently costs more, are experiencing a significant decrease in prices: their cost fell 35% from the second half of 2018 to the end of 2019, and this downward price trend continues in 2020 as well.

#10 Solar is becoming more affordable. This is an outgoing trend as the prices have dropped to an incredible 36% in the past 5 years. The best news is that this trend is expected to continue in the next decade as well.

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