Solar Electricity To Power 200,000 U.S. Homes By End of 2010

Solar Electricity To Power 200,000 U.S. Homes By End of 2010

Solar is likely to surpass one gigawatt of installed, power-generating capacity this year in the U.S. — that’s enough capacity to power 200,000 homes — according to a report released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GreenTech Media Research.

The researchers believe that photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) installations in the states are on the rise thanks to decreasing prices and continued government support of domestic solar projects. One large CSP project and several large PV projects contributed to the robust forecast.

The Israeli-developed, California-based clean tech company BrightSource Energy attained federal approvals this year to build a major, 370 MW CSP installation in Southern California, including about 10 “power towers” on federal lands. This Ivanpah project has created high hopes for a BrightSource IPO this year, though a 2011 IPO is more likely