Today, we review solar power in 2019. After another trip around the sun, 2019 was a breakthrough year for solar energy. For starters, California reaches the one million mark for the number of solar roofs installed. And the amount of U.S. solar projects nearly doubling. Additionally, almost 3 gigawatts of solar in the third quarter of 2019 alone.
Today, we’re here to review some of the amazing moments 2019 brought solar energy. We’ll take a look at some of the amazing solar technology trends that we hope to bring into this next decade.
Solar Power in 2019: Floating Solar Panels
In 2019 we saw an increase in floating solar installations, with some of them even breaking new records. What are floating solar systems exactly? Also known as ‘photovoltaics’, these are floating structures that are made up of solar panels and installed in bodies of water.
In other words, floating solar panels enable solar energy to be in places it typically wouldn’t. Thanks to floating solar installations, things like retention ponds and wastewater holding areas can now be used to create solar power. This past October, the largest floating solar array in the United States was installed in New Jersey.
Solar Finds Its Way to More Agricultural Land
The year 2019 proved that solar panels not only produce more power on farmland but may also help increase a farmer's crop yield. Many farmers’ crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, and corn have proven to grow better when they have shade, which is what solar panels provide. If you have solar panels on your farm, you have the potential to produce more crops than a traditional farm would.
Bifacial Solar Panels Rise in Popularity.
In 2019, bifacial solar panels are getting attention. Bifacial solar panels are panels that have modules that have photovoltaic cells on both sides of each individual panel, meaning that both sides can collect energy from the sun and transform it into electricity. In the US, we are installing 5,420 MW of bifacial solar panel systems, which is almost double the amount of what was installed in the year 2018.
Conclusion
2019 was a big, and successful year for the solar power industry. We expect installations to continue to increase, for solar to get a little bit cheaper and the solar industry will only continue to advance. We hope 2020 is just as good!
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