In the U.S., solar energy production is increasing at a rapid rate. According to the latest report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Solar photovoltaic energy production this year has nearly doubled that of the previous year’s output.
Solar is the latest child on the block compared to other renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric or wind power. However, over the last few years, solar has been increasing. From June 2013 through June 2014, it was reported that the U.S. produced more than 12,000,000 megawatt-hours of energy this year compared to 5,600,000 between June 2012 and June 2013. However, the latest growth is simply an extension of the rate of solar power generation that is growing:
Solar photovoltaic remains an insignificant portion of the renewable energy pie, however. Hydroelectric is the dominant field. Wind has also experienced rapid growth in the last decade.
Solar contributes little to the nation’s energy needs compared to other technologies, such as wind and hydro-solar. However, the increase in renewable energy from solar is only one aspect of the steady growth in the renewable energy sector within the U.S. According to Photovoltaic Markets and Technology,-hydroelectric renewable energy accounts for 7.3 percent of the nation’s electricity production, and hydroelectric contributes an additional 7 percent. According to Smart News, In the next few years, more than half the new infrastructure for energy across the nation is expected to be renewable.