Commercial, Solar  -  October 7, 2020

Corporate solar installations increased 1,286 MW in 2019

Apple, Amazon and Walmart ranked in the top corporate solar users in 2019 and were major contributors to the 1,286 MW of new commercial solar capacity that was added in the U.S. last year.

The latest Solar Mean Business report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) found that U.S. corporate solar investments in both onsite and offsite installations grew to a total capacity of 8,300 MW in 2019, representing nearly 20-fold growth over the last decade. Apple had the most offsite solar installed through 2019 with nearly 400 MW of capacity, while Walmart increased its solar use by 35% and installed the most solar in 2019.

Facebook ranked in the top 10 list of corporate solar users for its very first time, ranking ninth just behind Prologis after jumping up from the 27th spot. Additionally, Target finished 2019 with a total of 283 MW of solar capacity and 500 projects in its portfolio.

There was 845 MW of onsite commercial solar installed in 2019, making it the largest year yet for onsite solar. The report tracked more than 38,000 commercial solar systems and found that, combined, the systems generate enough electricity to offset 8.9 million metric tons of CO2 annually.

“The world’s most recognizable brands are walking the walk when it comes to their clean energy commitments,” Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, said in a statement. “Businesses are choosing solar energy because it can significantly curb their energy costs and add predictability during these uncertain times. We expect that the corporate sector will make greater investments in solar as businesses make and follow through on clean energy commitments to address the climate crisis.”

SEIA estimates that 5 GW of corporate offsite solar projects will come online over the next few years, more than doubling the total amount of offsite corporate solar.

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