Solar Power Growth & Solar Power Advantages (charts!)

By Author: james002 james002
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Last week, we published an article showing why the cost of solar is probably 2–100 times cheaper than you think. With so many people thinking that solar power costs much more than it actually does, one would think that no one is going solar, right? Well, with the advantages of solar power starting to get out there more, and with the cost of going solar beating the heck out of the price of electricity in an increasing number of places, solar power is growing fast in the US. For sure, this is just the beginning, but have a look at these solar power growth charts below for a quick look at recent trends, followed by more on the advantages of solar power. Most efficient solar panels

A few things to note from the chart above are that:
Residential solar power growth has indeed increased several times over in recent years.
Commercial solar power growth (which is largely what the “Non-Residential” segment represents) has also grown in leaps and bounds. Companies like Walmart, IKEA, Google, Apple, Walgreens, Kohl’s, and many others have discovered that going solar is cheaper than relying on utilities for 100% ...
... of their electricity. Of course, the image benefits also don’t hurt, but it’s really the financial benefits that have driven these companies to start going solar to such a large degree. Advantages of solar energy
Utility solar power growth is also strong. The bottom line is: solar power is getting competitive (i.e. cheaper than alternatives) in a growing number of places. As such, at every scale of electricity production, solar power is growing strong.

If you’re not familiar with the industry, you might think, “Hmm, but solar power installations went down in Q1 2013. Something’s wrong.”
Actually, nothing’s wrong at all. Due to various tax and policy factors, Q4 is always the strongest quarter of the year and Q1 is always the weakest. Take a look at the chart carefully to see that pattern. Even despite this, Q1 2013 was the 4th best quarter for US solar power installations ever. That’s impressive. Also, clearly, Q4 2012 was the best quarter ever in overall solar power growth. Energy saving tips
One more thing to note is that residential solar power installations actually increased from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013! So, Q1 2013 was the best quarter ever for residential solar power growth.
The growth should get stronger as the year goes on, and solar power is actually projected to be the #2 source of new US power capacity in 2013. Yep, that means more solar power capacity would be added than coal power capacity, nuclear power capacity, wind power capacity, hydro power capacity, or anything else… except for natural gas power capacity, which is projected to be #1. Free electricity
2013 is projected to be the best year for US solar power growth by far. But the growth won’t stop there. The advantages of solar power just keep growing and growing, and more and more people are waking up to its benefits. This growth trend is projected to continue for years to come as more and more people and businesses realize that they can save massive money by going solar. Here are two more charts with future growth projections included:

Most efficient solar panels, Advantages of solar energy, Energy saving tips, Free electricity