Environment California: State on track to reach 3 GW of PV capacity by 2016
- Environment California notes that if California rooftop installations grow 25% annually, it will reach its goal of 3 GW of solar by 2016
On November 9th, 2011 Environment California Research & Policy Center (Oakland, California, U.S.) released a report which concludes that California's Million Solar Roofs Initiative is on track to meet a goal of installing 3 GW of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plants by 2016.
"Building a Brighter Future: California’s Progress Toward a Million Solar Roofs" states that California has achieved this goal while reducing the cost of PV generation and creating thousands of jobs throughout the state. The organization notes that California has recently reached an installed capacity of more than 1 GW of rooftop PV plants across the state.
“California can become the Saudi Arabia of the sun if it continues to get behind big, successful solar programs,” said Environment California Research & Policy Center Clean Energy Advocate Michelle Kinman, a co-author of the report.
“All signs point to a bright future for solar power in California, meaning cleaner air, cleaner energy, and more jobs.”
California solar market expands 40% annually
The report describes California's 2006 Million Solar Roofs Bill, which established the Go Solar California campaign, as "historic in both scope and scale". Go Solar California includes programs that fund PV projects on homes, commercial buildings and farms as well as government and non-profit buildings.
The report finds that even under less than optimal economic conditions, California's solar market has been expanding by roughly 40% annually. Environment California states that if the market continues growing at 25% per year, the state will reach 3GW of rooftop PV by the end of 2016.
Environment California also notes that California is home to roughly 20% of all solar power companies in the United States, with more than 3,500 firms which employ more than 25,000 workers.
"Building a Brighter Future: California’s Progress Toward a Million Solar Roofs" is available for download at www.environmentcalifornia.org
2011-11-11| Courtesy: Environment California | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH
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