John Fitzgerald Weaver
Global solar installations could reach 1 terawatt next year
BloombergNEF reports that the world installed nearly 600 gigawatts of solar power in 2024, closely aligning with projections that annual global solar installations will surpass 1 terawatt within the next few years. Although projections for 2025 currently fall short of that pace, early forecasts often underestimate actual deployment.
Community solar up 42%, C&I up 18%, residential down 25%
Distributed solar fell 11% in 2024, dragged down by the residential segment, according to Ohm Analytics’s Q4-2024 report. However, signs of recovery emerged with a strong fourth quarter and increasing installation volumes throughout the year.
Twitter’s solar sentiment tilts negative as political polarization rises
Researchers found that from 2013 through the end of 2022, Republican and Southern regions of the United States showed increased negativity toward solar power, potentially due to heightened political attention as solar development expanded.
Balcony solar gains unanimous bipartisan support in Utah
A new Utah bill allows portable solar power systems of up to 1.2 kWac to connect directly to 120V outlets without interconnection applications or utility fees, provided they meet NEC and UL certification standards.
Solar generation up 27%, accounting for 6.8% of all electricity
The Energy Information Administration reports that utility-scale solar grew by 32%, while distributed solar increased by 15%, bringing their respective shares to nearly 5% and 2% of total electricity generation. Overall, U.S. electricity generation rose by 3.1% year over year.
Solar, batteries and wind to make up 93% of 2025 U.S. electricity capacity deployments
The Energy Information Administration projects that 32.5 GW of solar power, 18.2 GW of energy storage, and 7.7 GW of wind generation will be deployed this year, accounting for nearly 93% of total new capacity, which is expected to reach a record 63 GW.
Robots, contractors and insurance at RE+ Northeast 2025
The winter solar power conference held in Boston each February showcased a broad range of vendors ready to support solar power deployment, with contractors, engineering firms and finance and insurance providers taking a much larger presence on the show floor.
California off to a strong clean electricity start with solar up 33.8%
Forty-eight days into 2025, CAISO gas use for electricity is down almost 28%, while battery use is up 78%, and solar has already met 100% of demand in the midst of winter.
Massachusetts allows increased demand charges to drive energy storage
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has approved a rate change that allows large electricity customers, specifically large business customers, to pay a transmission coincident peak demand charge instead of a volumetric transmission charge.
Massachusetts utility-scale battery projects sell IRA tax credits for nearly $10 million
Four municipal utilities in Massachusetts, led by developer Lightshift Energy, are using Basis Climate to facilitate tax credit transfers for battery storage, with plans for up to 50 MW of capacity, ranging from 3 MW/9 MWh to 5 MW/22 MWh.
