The California Public Utilities Commission reported this week that last year, state residents, businesses and other entities installed 158 megawatts of photovoltaics in 2008, more than twice the 78 megawatts installed in 2007. The commission notes that the state now has a combined 441 megawatts of distributed solar photovoltaic systems, the highest total in the country.
"California is the nation’s largest solar market and its continued growth demonstrates that solar is a viable energy resource that can strengthen California’s economy as we pursue aggressive goals to fight global warming," said Julie Fitch of the CPUC in a statement.
The growth of solar in California over the years has been driven by over $5 billion in private investments by state consumers, according to the CPUC, and current figures suggest that 2009 will show comparable results for this rapidly growing industry.
Much of the growth can be credited to the California Solar Initiative, a program that hopes to cause 1,940 megawatts of solar energy to be installed statewide by 2016.
