In 2023, the U.S. solar market installed 32.4 GWdc (gigawatts direct current) of capacity, a remarkable 51% increase from 2022. This was the industry’s biggest year by far, exceeding 30 GWdc of capacity for the first time. Solar accounted for 53% of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. grid in 2023, slightly ahead of the forecasted 52% of added capacity for 2023. Read more
This week the Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $366 million for 17 projects across rural and remote American communities. The funding will accelerate the development of clean, sustainable energy deployment with community driven projects such as building microgrids to ensure energy security with reliable, affordable energy.
Rural and remote communities face a unique set of energy challenges due to their small populations and isolation from larger electrical systems, resulting in higher electric bills, unreliable energy supplies, and/or no access to electricity at all. Read more
According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), renewable power sources continued to add capacity to the grid during 2023. For 2023, added capacity will come primarily from solar (52%) and wind (13%), while batteries for stored energy will provide 17% of the new capacity. Read more
Microgrids have the potential to play a key role in the transformation of an aging electric grid into a system that is reliable, resilient, and distributed. The U.S. Department of Energy has developed a vision in which microgrids are a core component of a transformed grid where 30-5-% of electricity generation comes from distributed sources (i.e. microgrids). But many states have yet to put in place policies that will encourage the widespread development & deployment of microgrids. Read more
For communities that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, microgrids have a demonstrated ability to ‘keep the power on’ when disaster strikes.