Installed solar capacity in the U.S. now totals 161 GW, enough to provide about 5% of the nation’s electricity.
Solar power production in the US
In many ways, 2023 was a record year for clean energy deployment, and today it dominates new electricity generation, with solar leading the way and reaching all-time highs. A record 31 gigawatts (GW) of solar power was installed in 2023, a 55% increase over 2022 installations. Even with significant project delays due to supply chain issues and other factors, solar was the fastest growing energy source in recent years and actually, installed solar capacity stands at 161 GW, enough to provide about 5% of the country’s electricity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
As a result of new solar projects coming online soon, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that solar power generation will grow by 75%, from 161 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2023 to 286 billion kWh in 2025. As we see it, solar energy is the fastest growing renewable source not only due to increased capacity, but also due to new digitalisation solutions in the sector, as well as favorable government policies. In fact, our comprehensive set of IoT based tools are designed to make the commissioning of solar plants up to 25% faster thanks to its cutting-edge solutions incorporating the latest technology.
Challenges to solar implementation in the U.S.
Although solar energy has many benefits, there are also challenges to its deployment, one of the main ones being the cost of construction and installation. Although the cost of manufacturing solar panels has dropped considerably in recent years, initial installation costs can still be high. In addition, there is also the challenge of installation and commissioning times. In 2021, more than 8,000 projects suffered serious last-minute delays, waiting to receive permission to connect to the electricity grids by the end of the year.
At WILOC we deploy cutting-edge solutions that incorporate the latest IoT and Big Data technology, so we are able to offer a complete set of tools designed to streamline the commissioning process of PV plants, making it up to 25% faster. Thanks to our cloud-based SaaS platform and on-site applications, we make it possible to track each and every element during construction, from logistics to installation and assembly, through commissioning and quality, ensuring a complete match between the PV plant ‘As Build’ and ‘As Is’ according to the original engineering design.
Technological advancements mean solar power is more cost-effective than ever
As the need for renewable energy grows, more research is being done to improve ways to convert energy into electricity. In the solar energy industry, we are committed to improve the way we build photovoltaic plants. Thanks to our research, the efficiency of solar power plants has increased by around 15-20%, which means savings for solar companies.
We believe it is important to carry out a complete supervision of the entire project to avoid human errors, ensuring consistency in the energy production of the installed modules, tracking the assets and becoming a fully digitalised process. The real-time quality testing offered by our solution makes the tracking of construction progress digitized in all solar energy projects. However, changing management and getting staff to trust the new technology can also be a challenge.
In our opinion, the integration of digital tools into solar PV power plant processes is essential for a sustainable future in the US and helps to increase efficiency and reduce EPC costs. Our digital technologies not only streamline the commissioning process of solar plants, making them operational faster, but also provide real-time monitoring and information for preventive maintenance solutions, enabling ad hoc reporting.
Furthermore, the digital transformation of this sector not only optimizes the performance of installations, but also contributes to the overall resilience and reliability of the energy grid, which is a substantial step towards a more efficient and sustainable energy transition.
Where are the biggest solar projects in the USA?
Currently, the largest solar farms in the United States are located in California and Texas. Solar Star’s projects have more than 1.7 million solar panels and produce enough electricity to power about 255,000 homes. The farms cover some 3,200 hectares. Topaz Solar Farm is another of the world’s largest solar farms, containing 9 million modules and spanning 4,700 acres, creating enough electricity to power 180,000 homes. Ivanpah Solar Power Facility is located at the base of Clark Mountain in California and is established on a 3,500-acre facility to supply electricity to about 140,000 U.S. homes.
We are leaders in the implementation of complex processes in various industrial sectors, and currently involved in Enel’s Stampede photovoltaic plant in Texas. The Stampede is a 326 MW solar project in 1,300-acre of Texan land currently under development in a single phase and expected to enter commercial operation in 2026.
The future of Solar Energy in the US
For us the future of solar energy in the United States looks promising. We expect the cost of solar panels to continue declining, making solar energy more accessible, and we are confident that efficiency thanks to technological advances and improvements will boost productivity of PV plants.
After all, as the United States moves toward a more sustainable energy mix, solar is expected to play the most important role, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the presence of sustainable energy sources in the energy mix that will help create a cleaner future for America.
At WILOC we are willing to be part of the future of the energy industry unleashing the power of our technology.
Author: Javier Benjumea
Javier Benjumea,
CEO of WILOC Technologies
Javier Benjumea Serra, CEO of Wiloc Technologies, has more than 14 years’ experience in the cutting-edge technology sector, having held management positions in various companies, before founding Wiloc Technologies in 2020.With only 4 years since its foundation, Wiloc has already established itself as a world leader in implementing cutting-edge solutions for the digitisation of processes in various industrial sectors, such as energy and construction. Wiloc is currently collaborating with some of the main international engineering projects in markets such as the USA, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, and in various European countries, including Spain.
