[November 22, 2022, New York, New York] — The latest report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reveals soaring adoption of solar energy by corporate America. GSI’s CEO, Mazen Turk, stated: “This report reveals a really encouraging trend that is being led by some of America’s tech and retail giants. These companies are now installing record levels of solar to power their facilities such that corporate adoption now accounts for 14% of the US solar market”
The “Solar Means Business 2022” report, which tracks and analyzes commercial solar adoption, named Meta, Amazon, Apple, Walmart and Microsoft as the top 5 corporate solar users in America. The report reveals that through June 2022, U.S. businesses have installed nearly 19 gigawatts (GW) of on-site and off-site solar capacity, which is double the 9.4 GW installed through 2019.
“About half of all corporate solar has been installed in the last two and half years,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Solar Means Business highlights the incredible flexibility of solar, whether it’s installed on a warehouse roof, on a carport or at an off-site facility, showing the various ways that companies are meeting their needs with clean, affordable energy. From data centers to industrial freezers, the most energy-intensive business operations are turning to solar as the most reliable and affordable way to power their infrastructure.”
Solar Means Business 2022 reveals that Meta dramatically increased its installed solar capacity from 177 megawatts (MW) in early 2019 to 3.6 GW today and now has the largest corporate solar portfolio in the United States. Target remains the top onsite corporate solar user, while Microsoft leapt into the top 10 by installing 479 MW of new capacity since 2019.
Walmart’s diverse set of on-site and off-site solar has kept them in the top 5 for the last decade, states the report. Companies like Intel, Google, Switch and Digital Realty are all using solar energy at data center facilities, which help to power critical information and data infrastructure. In addition, food and beverage giants like Ab Inbev and Starbucks, health care companies like Kaiser Permanente and DaVita, and other top brands like Home Depot and T-Mobile are all top 25 corporate solar users.
There are now 23 U.S. companies that have installed at least 100 MW of solar capacity, up from 11 companies in 2019. 18 of the top 25 companies ranked in this report are pursuing 100% renewable energy or carbon neutral goals.
The full report tracks over 47,000 corporate solar installations nationwide, which together generate enough electricity to power 3.2 million homes and offset 20.4 million metric tons of carbon annually.
In addition, the report now tracks commercial solar projects that are paired with battery storage, which is particularly helpful for businesses that provide essential services or supply critical information or data infrastructure.
Total commercial solar installations are expected to double again over the next 3 years with nearly 27 GW of off-site corporate solar projects scheduled to come online by 2025. This represents nearly a third of the total contracted solar pipeline.
To download the full report see www.SolarMeansBusiness.com.