The US is getting rid of dirty energy and going green.
There are now one million solar installations nationwide in both the commercial and private sectors. A large part of this huge boom is due to technology companies embracing clean energy.
Benefits of going green
It’s good for the planet, but there are also monetary benefits. Homes and businesses with solar arrays, can get credited for the energy they create that goes back into the utility grid.
It also increases the value of a building. As a business that is seen as “going green,” it’s also a positive boost to how the consumer may view you.
Going green is affordable
Price was a barrier for many businesses and individuals for a long time, but the price has decreased by 70 percent. Taxes credits, net metering, less expensive PV modules, and renewable portfolio standards have contributed to this decrease.
Decrease dependance in dirty energy
Because of coal-fired power plants, the energy sector is responsible for one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions in the US according to the EPA.
In December 2015, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal called the Paris Agreement. The US agreed to decrease its use of coal. 100 gigawatts(GW) worth of coal generators have been shut down since 2010, according to the Sierra Club. Just this week, two coal-fueled generators were shut down in Illinois.
It took 43 years from the time the first residential PV system was installed in 1973 to reach 1 million installations, but SEIA and George Washington University predict that the United States will reach 2 million solar installations in 2018.
They also predict that one million PV systems will be installed annually starting in 2025.
This increase in solar is a 1000% increase in 15 years. This growth is only expected to continue.
