About the Data
The largest number, from California, is based on adding 15% to current California Solar Initiative (CSI) projects to account for the non-IOU installations. 15% may be optimistic, but it is in line with what was happening in 2008.
Here are the details behind my estimates. The lovely underlying map is from the Open PV project. For links to the original reports and press releases visit SolarInstallData.com, where I try to drop all the data resources I find.
[apologies for the formatting]
| State | # systems | Source data |
| California | 72,575 | CaliforniaSolarStatistics.ca.gov + 15% for MUNIs. Plus 33,000 systems installed prior to the CSI program (according to CEC data) |
| New Jersey | 4,894 | Report from Clean Energy Program through 12/09 |
| New York | 4,421 | NYSERDA 2121 systems installed through 2/10, an addt’l 576 are approved and 496 in process. Long Island press release stated 2,300 systems installed through 12/09. Added LIPA and NYSERDA installed. |
| Colorado | 3,833 | 2072 projects in Xcel in 2009, 1413 projects in 2008. Estimated +10% for rest of state |
| Arizona | 2,700 | State summary report as of 4/08 showed 1700 systems. Estimated another 1,000 installed since then based on growth of installers in state. |
| Texas | 2,000 | Austin Energy press release of 1,104 systems as of 12/09 and best guess for rest of state. |
| Massachusetts | 1,888 | Open PV |
| Nevada | 955 | Solar Generations status report through 2009 = 869 incentives paid. Estimated +10% for rest of state. |
| Connecticut | 830 | From State summary, 830 through 12/09, (507 were from CCEF) |
| Oregon | 735 | Oregon Energy Trust chart from 2008 shows 102+116+152+365 for total program |
| Wisconsin | 715 | Open PV |
| Maryland | 487 | Open PV |
| Pennsylvania | 371 | Open PV |
| Vermont | 276 | Open PV |
| New Mexico | 263 | Open PV |
| Wyoming | 142 | Open PV |
| Florida | 132 | Open PV |
| Lousiana | 69 | Open PV |
| Montana | 56 | Open PV |
| Minnesota | 54 | Open PV |
| Ohio | 36 | Open PV |
| Tennesse | 14 | Open PV |
| North Carolina | 12 | Open PV |
| Washington | 8 | Open PV |
| Alabama | 4 | Open PV |
| Missouri | 3 | Open PV |
| Iowa | 2 | Open PV |
Total: 97,475
There must be more systems out there unreported. Let’s get them counted!
Excellent resources for tracking the number and capacity of grid-tied PV systems include Larry Sherwood, and his annual market update reports supported by IREC. More recently, the Open PV project from NREL has been compiling actual installation data from utilities, installers, and individuals. I am told by Brendan Heberton from NREL’s Open PV project that a system doesn’t make it into their database unless they have the size, location, cost, and installation date. This is a pretty high bar so the Open PV project is still recruting confirmations from much of the U.S. market. The sales and costs data they are recruiting is going to make a big difference for emerging markets across the U.S.
Then there is the grandaddy PV database, CaliforniaSolarStatistics.ca.gov. While thre are still plenty of errors and glitches, it is still missing the first 33,000 systems installed in the state (under the previous incentive program), and there is no way to confirm contract price accuracy – the CSI database is the best thing since sliced bread for consumers, regulators, and installers for tracking what is happening in the PV market.
If you are in a state that seems to be missing a few thousand systems, please help the Open PV project get them reported. If you know of installation reports and data resources not already listed at SolarInstallData.com, email me and we’ll get them on there.