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Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high

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Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high

Solar’s share of U.S. electric generation exceeded 7% in May.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | August 7, 2023
Photo: Image by VoltaroEnergy from Pixabay - Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high

Photo: Image by VoltaroEnergy from Pixabay

Installation of rooftop photovoltaic panels, such as a recently completed project that added 17,000 panels to a distribution center in New York State, are having a notable impact on the transition to cleaner energy sources.

Solar provided a record-high 7.3% of U.S. electrical generation in May, “driven in large part by growth in ‘estimated’ small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV whose output increased by 25.6% and accounted for nearly a third (31.9%) of total solar production,” according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Averaged out, for the first five months of the year, solar accounted for 5.5% of total U.S. electrical generation.

During the first five months of 2023, solar and wind combined for 17.7% of total US electrical output, up from 17.0% for the same period a year earlier. For the five-month period, solar plus wind easily surpassed coal, which accounted for 14.6% of electrical generation.

The massive solar panel installation atop Medline Industries’ distribution center in New York is projected to generate 7.2-megawatts of power, enough for over 1,600 homes. It is the largest rooftop installation in the state.

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