Solar Activity Was At Record-High Level In USA In 2020
One decade ago, I was writing about the rapid growth of solar power in the United States and the exciting forecast for much more solar growth in the country. The past couple of years have again brought record solar installations in the United States, and record solar activity more broadly. Of course, this is driven in large part by record-low solar prices, but not only.
Chart by U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report.
What’s Driving US Solar Power Growth?
Money, money, money — it’s hard to say that most of this growth doesn’t come down to continuous solar panel cost drops over the past decade, which as I reported last year led to an average rooftop solar power price of $2.19/watt across the USA and a Tesla rooftop solar power price of $1.49/watt across the country. Both prices are the price after the US solar tax credit, aka Investment Tax Credit (ITC), takes 26% off the consumer cost.
Related, the federal solar tax credit was on the verge of dropping from 26% of the cost of a solar power system to 22% after 2020, but it was extended at the end of the year. A desire to get the 26% credit before it was cut to 22% surely led to a solar power rush throughout the year. It turns out the tax credit was extended at the end of the year, but that doesn’t mean the systems installed due to the potential expiration are any less real.
How Much Did US Solar Power Grow In 2020?
As noted above, the big-picture view is of solar activity — or solar PV module shipments — which includes solar panel (aka solar module) imports, solar panel exports, solar panels produced, and solar panels sold domestically. (I know, it seems like a somewhat weird accumulation of different activities.) They rose to 21.8 million peak kilowatts (kW) of solar power capacity in 2020, by far their best ever. In fact, that was 5.4 million peak kW above 2019’s total, their previous best.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration adds that the COVID-19 crisis may have given rooftop solar a boost, too. “Demand for residential solar installations increased in 2020 in part because people were spending more time at home, which in turn resulted in an increased interest in home improvement.”
Though, the growth wasn’t all about rooftop solar. In fact, utility-scale solar saw an even bigger growth spurt than rooftop solar. Utility-scale solar PV installations (1 MW and above) rose by 29% in 2020, compared to 2019, whereas small-scale solar rose by 19%. The average of the two was 25% growth.
Graph by U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report
Low solar power costs combined with growing awareness and greater increase in energy self-reliance have surely led to further solar power growth in 2021, but there likely won’t be a rush induced by changes to the tax incentives again until 2022, since the 26% credit extension went through 2022, dropping to 22% in 2023 (unless it gets extended again, but that seems unlikely).
“The average value (a proxy for price) of solar shipments decreased from $1.96 per peak watt in 2010 to $0.38 per peak watt in 2020,” the EIA writes, referencing the graph above. “Lower supply chain costs and an oversupply of modules because of increased production are largely responsible for the declines in the average value of solar PV modules over the past decade.”
And here are a few more stats from the EIA team, with lead writing by Lolita Jamison: “In 2020, 89% of U.S. solar PV module shipments were imports. PV module imports in 2020 totaled 19.3 million peak kilowatts (kW), an increase of 26% from the 15.3 million peak kW imported in 2019. Vietnam was the leading importer to the United States, followed by Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand.”
As far as where in the US all of this solar power gets installed, as could be expected, the three most populated states in the nation — each of which have more than ample solar energy resources — stand out well above the crowd. Though, #4 Virginia shows an impressively large contribution, coming out of nowhere compared to previous years (it was #14 in 2018 and #19 in 2019). North Carolina, South Carolina, and New York round out the top 7, with the first and the last in that trio very familiar with top rankings, and the middle child improving on a very solid 2019 total. Here’s a short bullet-point summary for the top 10 in 2020 since the table below is a bit hard to read (all figures in MWdc):
- California — 3904
- Texas — 3425
- Florida — 2822
- Virginia — 1406
- North Carolina — 785
- South Carolina — 617
- New York — 544
- Arizona — 503
- Utah — 427
- New Jersey — 387
Table courtesy of U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
2021 and Beyond
What will 2021, 2022, and 2023 bring?
The U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) projects that 2021 will set an even significantly stronger solar power installation record, and then will grow a bit more gradually in 2022 and 2023 before dropping off for a few years in 2024, 2025, and 2026 due to the US solar tax credit reduction.
Chart courtesy of U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
The trends are expected to be approximately the same in both the small-scale (typically rooftop) solar PV market and the utility-scale solar PV market.
Chart courtesy of U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
Chart courtesy of U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
We shall see.
Is It Time To Go Solar?
This is always the question, and the answer is always “yes.” There are a variety of factors to consider and it’s a decision for each person, family, or business to look at closely themselves. However, year after year, it is typically the case that there’s a lot of money to be made, or saved, by going solar. If financing, the long-term savings often beat business-as-usual retail electricity purchasing. If considering a cash purchase, one can also take into account other investment opportunities and risk-reward levels. One way or another, though, going solar often makes financial sense. And when you take into account the climate catastrophe we’re facing, it’s just the right thing to do.
Considering going solar at a home or business? If so, I always recommend getting at least 3 quotes from solar installers (they’re always free), looking carefully at the terms and conditions, and consulting with someone who has already gone solar if you have the opportunity. If you end up deciding on going solar with Tesla, feel free to use my referral code — https://ts.la/zachary63404 — for a $100 discount (and a bit of a bonus for me, too). That works for either conventional solar panels or a Tesla Solar Roof (solar tiles).
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Environment
Tesla’s Robyn Denholm made 5x more than next best-paid chair, a role Musk said was usefuless
Robyn Denholm, Tesla’s chairwoman, made five times more money than the next best-paid board chair, a role Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk said was useless.
In 2018, Musk settled with the SEC for falsely claiming he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 a share, he was forced to resign as chair of Tesla’s board.
Musk basically handpicked Robyn Denholm to become the new chair, which he then called a useless “honorific” titled:
“Chairman’ is an honorific, not executive role, which means it’s not needed to run Tesla. Will retire that title at Tesla in 3 years.”
Denholm made a lot of money in this useless honorific role.
She has made over $530 million, almost entirely through stock option compensation, since becoming Tesla’s chairperson.
Most of her stock sales happened over the last year:
The New York Times released a new report looking into Denholm’s compensation and found that she was paid about 5 times more than the next best-paid nonexecutive chair.
Tesla paid its chair about 5 times more than UnitedHealth’s:
The nonexecutive chair with the next-highest profit from selling shares in the company he oversees was Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealth Group. Mr. Hemsley has earned more than $100 million from the sale of UnitedHealth shares since November 2018, though he received all of that stock while he was chief executive of the health care company.
To Musk’s point about the role being honorific, it’s not clear what Denholm accomplished during her time as chair.
She and the rest of Tesla’s board oversee Tesla’s executive management, led by Musk, but Musk has been allowed to do whatever he wants for years.
They have backed his every move, granted him a $55 billion CEO compensation package, and remained silent when he threatened Tesla shareholders that he would not develop AI products at Tesla unless given a larger, more controlling share of the company, or decided to fire Tesla’s entire charging team to make an example out of the head of the team.
Most recently, they have not addressed the protests at Tesla stores and product boycotts, which are attributed to Musk’s involvement in politics, angering a significant portion of the population and Tesla’s consumer base.
Only recently was there a report suggesting the board floated the idea of replacing Musk to gain leverage in forcing him to spend more time at Tesla. Even then, the board quickly denied the report, which only claimed that they were doing their jobs in planning the CEO succession.
Electrek’s Take
Based on Musk’s comment, Denholm was paid half a billion dollars to do nothing. That’s literally all that was required of her after replacing Musk as chair of the board: nothing.
Musk is in charge. She is just an “honorific” figurehead that is required to back his every move.
Just as Tesla’s then-third-largest individual shareholder, after Musk, Leo KoGuan, told Electrek last year, when he couldn’t get his concerns about Musk heard by the board, Tesla is “a family business masquerading as a public company.”
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Environment
UrbanLink nearly doubles order of REGENT electric seagliders to transport over 4M passengers a year
Less than a year after announcing an order for 27 electric seaglider planes from REGENT Craft, advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist UrbanLink has nearly doubled that order size to support plans for high-frequency commercial flights around the southeastern United States.
While advanced air mobility may be a nascent industry, companies around the globe are continuously gearing up to establish commercial networks that support air taxi travel and other sustainable commercial operations. In the US, particularly Southern Florida, UrbanLink has been making tons of moves to establish itself as a major player in that space when it happens.
UrbanLink has already been working for years to enable zero-emission, end-to-end travel within a 500-mile range by 2028 before expanding that range to 1,000 miles by 2030, beginning with its hub cities of Miami, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The company believes its actions have adequately positioned it to become the first airline in the US to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into its fleet. Fellow eVTOL network Archer Aviation is also in the race, so it’s exciting times for commercial air taxi development.
UrbanLink has committed to purchasing from several eVTOL and electric plane developers, including Artemis Sea Crafts, Eviation Aircraft, and Lilium, as we reported back in June 2024. Last fall, the AAM operator announced it was adding more vessels to its growing fleet in South Florida, committing to purchase 27 electric seagliders from REGENT Craft.
Today, UrbanLink and REGENT announced an expansion of their existing partnership in which the former has upped its purchase order to 47 electric seagliders.
UrbanLink ups seaglider order to support FL, Puerto Rico
REGENT Craft and UrbanLink shared details of the expanded partnership this morning, in hopes of establishing Florida as the bona fide leader in sustainable coastal aerial mobility.
Per the company, the nearly doubling of the existing order for REGENT’s Viceroy electric seagliders will support a more rapid rollout of UrbanLink’s aerial operations between the southern Florida and Puerto Rico regions. REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer spoke about the expanded seaglider order:
UrbanLink’s expanded order is a clear vote of confidence in REGENT’s seaglider technology and is testament to our continued timely execution certification and product development milestones. Together, we’re building a more convenient and connected future for coastal communities.
As the map above shows, electric sea glider travel can cut the travel time from Miami to West Palm Beach by nearly 75%. This single route represents a growing demand for convenient and more sustainable alternatives for short-haul travel in the US, and UrbanLink hopes to provide that to Florida visitors and beyond.
For example, the company shared that it anticipates that its seaglider operations in Miami alone could provide more sustainable travel options to up to 4.3 million passengers per year when commercial operations begin. UrbanLink founder and chairman Ed Wegel also spoke:
We’re proud to expand our partnership with REGENT and bring this revolutionary technology to more passengers traveling high-demand routes across Florida and Puerto Rico. This partnership propels Florida to the forefront of global innovation in advanced, all-electric mobility.
REGENT’s full-scale Viceroy electric seaglider prototype is currently in the process of successful sea trials en route to certification from the US Coast Guard. These 12-passenger vessels can reach up to 180 mph and travel up to 180 miles on a single charge.
First deliveries of the Viceroy seagliders to UrbanLink are expected to begin sometime in 2027.
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It’s official. Toyota is finally launching a new EV in the US. The C-HR will return in what’s expected to be an affordable electric SUV. Here’s our first look at the 2026 Toyota C-HR, a surprisingly stylish EV with nearly 300 miles of range.
Meet the 2026 Toyota C-HR electric SUV for the US
Who could forget the original Toyota C-HR? The funky-looking compact SUV was priced under $25,000 but was discontinued in 2022 to make way for the more efficient Corolla Cross hybrid.
The C-HR will make a comeback in the US as a fully electric SUV with nearly 300 miles of range. After revealing the electric SUV in Europe earlier this year, Toyota confirmed on Wednesday that the C-HR will, in fact, arrive in the US.
Outside of a “+” added at the end of the name (C-HR+), the US and European versions look nearly identical. The electric version is a drastic upgrade over the retired gas-powered model.
Toyota gave it a stylish new look with an updated design closer to its new Corolla and Crown. The smaller SUV features Toyota’s “hammerhead front end” with slim LED headlights and distinct character lines.
The C-HR EV is 177.9″ long, 73.6″ wide, and 63.8″ tall, or about the size of the Kia Niro EV (174″ long, 72″ wide, and 62″ tall). It’s also a bit smaller than the bZ4X SUV, Toyota’s first EV, at 185″ long, 73″ wide, and 65″ tall.
Powered by a 74.7 kWh battery, Toyota expects the 2026 C-HR will get up to 290 miles of driving range. It will also be equipped with an NACS port to access Tesla’s Supercharger network. Using DC fast charging, the electric SUV can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
The 2026 C-HR will come with standard AWD with up to 338 hp. Toyota said the added power is good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in around 5 seconds.
Stylish new design inside and out
Toyota’s new EV will be available in SE and XSE trim with “great interior features.” These include a 14″ touchscreen infotainment system with Toyota Audio Multimedia system (with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support), a digital driver display, wireless phone chargers, and the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system.
Other standard features include a power liftgate, low-profile roof rails, and rain-sensing wipers. You can also choose from 18″ or 20″ wheels and several different paint colors.
The XSE model gains 20″ gun metal finished wheels, SofTex and synthetic suede-trimmed seats, a Digital Rearview Mirror with HomeLink, a Panoramic view Monitor, and more.
Toyota will offer the 2026 C-HR in fully electric (EV), Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Fuel Cell powertrain options. The new electric SUV is expected to arrive at dealerships across the US in 2026.
The new C-HR debut comes just a day after Toyota revealed its new bZ electric SUV for the US. Toyota is dropping the “bZ4X” name and giving it some significant upgrades, including more range (now up to 314 miles), a built-in NACS port, and more.
Although Toyota has yet to reveal prices, since the C-HR is smaller than the bZ4X, it’s expected to start at around $35,000.
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