(Subsidized) Cost of Solar now at 5 cents / kWh on average in the U.S.

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photovoltaics, solar, technoeconomics, U.S.

Based on a recent report on utility scale solar in the U.S., the price of electricity from utility-scale solar is in the U.S. is now at 5 cents/ kWh (average)

https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/09/30/price-of-solar-energy-in-the-united-states-has-fallen-to-5%C2%A2kwh-on-average/

You can find the full report here.

This number is 70% lower than it was in 2009, and is highly competitive with other power sources (natural gas, coal, wind). This price does includes the federal tax incentive (30%), meaning that the unsubsidized cost would be closer to 7 cents/kWh.

By comparison, the average price that industrial and residential customers pay for electricity in the U.S. this year is around 7  and 13 cents / kWh:

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_a

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Solar Jobs in the U.S.

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industry, jobs, SEIA, solar, U.S.

It’s been a big year for job growth in the U.S. solar industry.

According to a report from The Solar Foundation (see link below), the number of solar-related jobs in the U.S. has grown 86% in the last 4 years:

http://thesolarfoundation.org/

I also wanted to point out a neat interactive map put together by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) that shows the locations of various solar manufacturers and installers in the U.S.:

http://www.seia.org/research-resources/national-solar-database