Market Potential for Rooftop Solar Panels in the United States

 The solar rooftop potential for an entire country is the number of rooftops suitable for solar power, depending on size, shading, orientation and location. Rooftop potential is not the same as the economic or market potential for rooftop solar - it does not take into account availability or cost. Instead, it is the upper limit of rooftop solar deployment nationwide.

 

The solar rooftop potential of an individual roof is the amount of solar energy that can be installed on that roof, depending on its size, shading, tilt, location, and structure. Satellite maps, irradiance data, equipment specifications and other factors inform the bids that installers provide to their customers to help them understand the potential costs and benefits of rooftop solar panels.

 

According to a 2016 analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), there are more than 8 billion square meters of rooftops in the U.S. where solar panels could be installed, which represents more than 1 terawatt of potential solar capacity. The country's rooftop potential could grow even larger as solar conversion efficiencies improve. Residential and other small rooftops account for about 65 percent of the nation's roofing potential, and 42 percent of residential rooftops are on low- and moderate-income homes.

 

NREL estimates that an average of 3.3 million homes will be built or require roof replacement each year, which represents a potential of about 30 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity per year. Even a small percentage of these new roofs with solar installations could have a significant impact on solar power generation in the United States.

 

Findy Solar has been a custom solar solution provider and high efficiency solar panels manufacturer in China since 2006. If you are interested in custom solar panels, or would like to learn more about solar panels Feel free to contact us.