CPUC Report Shows Rooftop Solar Panels at an All-Time High

A recent report from the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, shows that installation of rooftop solar panels is at a record high. California residents installed 194 megawatts worth of new solar energy equipment in 2010 – an increase of over 47% from 2009.

California’s CSI program (which stands for California Solar Initiative) aims to install 3,000 megawatts of new California and San Diego solar energy equipment over the next decade. CSI is the country’s largest solar energy program, and with a goal of 1,940 megawatts of solar capacity by the end of 2016, the project is well on its way to success. The current total installed solar capacity in California is 924 megawatts.

The CSI program also aims to change the solar market by reducing the cost of solar energy equipment. The inflation-adjusted prices of solar systems has dropped between 18 and 27 percent depending on the kilowatt capacity of the system. CSI is well on its way to becoming one of California’s most successful solar energy programs, an alternative to gas and electric companies, and a fantastic example for the rest of the United States.