Thursday, March 22, 2012

Arizona moves into 3rd for solar energy installed

Arizona ranks third in the nation in terms of solar system installation, according to the 2011 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Arizona’s energy production from photovoltaic systems jumped from 63 to 273 megawatts between 2010 and 2011 – a 333% rate of growth. Arizona now trails only California and New Jersey in terms of solar megawatt production, and the SEIA report projects Arizona will jump into 2nd place nationally this year.

Nationally, energy production from photovoltaic installations grew 109% in 2011, according to the SEIA report. Growth was found in every market segment (residential, non-residential and utility), and project finance investments reached an all-time high. In total, $8.4 billion worth of photovoltaic systems were installed in the United States last year alone.

A press release from Gov. Brewer's office this afternoon reports that Arizona ranked 3rd nationally in 2011 with nearly 4,800 jobs in the solar energy field, according to the National Solar Jobs Census, issued in October by The Solar Foundation. Since 2010, nine renewable-energy companies have located or expanded operations in Arizona – creating more than 2,100 jobs and investing more than $1 billion in capital.

[taken in part from the Governor's news release]

2 comments:

  1. This won't last, since solar is nowhere close to competitive with gas. Only environmentalist extremism is fueling the solar boom, and soon it will be a bust.

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  2. Anonymous8:43 PM

    Cost per kilowatt hour to produce for electric companies and the customer actual cost, Sierra Club opposition at anything environmental that doesn't leave the land pristine on what it looked like 200 years ago, and cost of roof-top units in comparison to actual household savings will make this source undesirable.

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