Solar is an important, and growing, component of the US’s electricity generation portfolio. As of August 2024, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), installed solar capacity was around 107.5GW. That was a jump of 31% from the 2023 number, and this growth is expected to continue.

If you’re exploring job opportunities in the solar sector, this is very good news. As of 2023, the U.S. solar industry employs approximately 279,447 workers, marking a 5.9% increase from the previous year. Not only are large numbers of commercial-scale solar power facilities already operating, but their numbers are growing rapidly driven by increased demand for clean energy and supportive federal policies. However, capacity isn’t distributed evenly across the continent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most is in the south and west, although there are some outliers in the Midwest. California leads the nation with over 80,000 solar jobs, followed by Florida with 14,108 and Texas with 12,421

Components of Commercial Solar Power Facilities

All solar power systems use photovoltaic panels that convert solar radiation to DC electricity. In residential and other small-scale systems this goes into an inverter where it’s converted to usable AC power. Commercial systems, often called “solar farms”, are more complex.

In a solar farm, panels are connected in strings with an “electrical balance of system” (EBOS) combining their output and feeding inverters. These deliver AC power at up to 1,000V to step-up transformers and substations that, through complex switchgear, feed the power into the grid. Modern solar farms use sophisticated monitoring and control systems to optimize overall performance. Some may also have energy storage systems on site or close by.

Top 10 Solar States

In June 2024, Reuters published an article that used EIA data to identify the states with the largest amount of solar capacity. (Capacity and generation can be different due to variations in weather and latitude.) The list is as follows:

#1 California

California was the first state to install significant solar generating capacity, and with 20GW, is currently still the largest. Capacity has grown 44% since 2020, showing that investment is continuing rapidly.

#2 Texas

Though known for oil, to the surprise of some, Texas is a leader in renewable energy, with substantial solar and wind generation capacity. At 19GW, current capacity is only slightly less than that of California, but with higher growth than its west coast rival, Texas is anticipated to move into the Number 1 position in the near future.

#3 Florida

Unsurprisingly, the sunshine state is a leader in solar power production. What may be surprising though, is that with capacity of 9.5GW, Florida is far behind California and Texas.

#4 North Carolina

While not normally associated with bounteous sunshine, North Carolina has 6.7GW of installed solar capacity.

#5 Nevada

Located in the desert southwest, Nevada seems an ideal location for solar power. Small-scale systems are widespread and solar farm capacity is certain to expand beyond its current 4.8GW.

#6 Georgia

Georgia is investing in solar capacity, a notable example being the 106-MW project undertaken by Silicon Ranch in Bluffton, Georgia. In addition, two companies have plans to construct large-scale plants for solar panels and panel components.

#7 Arizona

With abundant sunshine, it may be surprising that Arizona doesn’t rank higher on this list. However, small-scale solar systems are everywhere, and commercial solar farms are under construction. Some examples are a 400MW facility going in near Flagstaff and two other solar generation and battery storage projects near Phoenix and Tucson.

#8 Virginia

Virginia has substantial solar power capacity, including a recently commissioned 14.6MW project in Charlottesville, Virginia. More capacity is planned, including a project to deliver 12,000MW of solar and 4,500MW of new battery storage.

#9 Colorado

While low on this list, Colorado has over 150 solar farms in operation, and at least nine more under construction.

#10 Ohio

The Midwest isn’t known for sunshine, but this state already has multiple commercial-scale farms in operation, and more are planned. These include a system in Madison County that combines 800MW of solar capacity with 300MW of battery storage.

Learn more about the George Brown College Solar Technician Programs, contact us today for more information at 1-888-553-5333 or by email at [email protected].