U.S. households will install a record number of photovoltaics this year to help reduce electricity costs, according to an analysis by BloombergNEF. Residential PV will add about 56GW in 2022, with the largest increases in Florida, Texas, the Midwest and California, according to a Monday report from BNEF.
Higher U.S. electricity prices and an extension of the tax credit in the Inflation Cuts Act are driving a rebound in the number of residents using solar energy. In pursuit of cleaner energy and less reliance on the grid, consumers are starting to own their own electricity supply systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to outages caused by extreme weather, wildfires and droughts.
"Despite supply chain challenges and higher costs, 2022 will definitely be a historic year for U.S. residential solar," BNEF analyst Pol Lezcano wrote.
U.S. households will use three times as much solar energy as commercial users this year, and will continue to lead in 2030, according to BNEF.