US corporate solar market swells to 8.3 GW, Apple remains on top

Solar array at Apple Park. Photo: Apple Inc.

The US topped 8,350 MW of commercial solar capacity after over 1,280 MW was added by corporate players in 2019, with Apple, Amazon and Walmart being the biggest consumers of solar electricity.

The figures were published in a new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) that highlights the major role of corporations in terms of investments as they work to achieve their clean energy commitments. According to the statistics, the newly-added capacity in the commercial sector last year made 2019 the second largest year on record. Of the total capacity that was hooked to the grid by corporates last year, some 845 MW came from onsite systems.

SEIA’s annual report contains data for both on-site and off-site installations.

“Businesses are choosing solar energy because it can significantly curb their energy costs and add predictability during these uncertain times,” said SEIA’s president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. She went on to say that the corporate sector is expected to make even greater investments in solar as businesses look to address the climate crisis and reach clean energy goals.

The names of the top 10 corporate solar users can be seen in the table below, as given by SEIA.

1. Apple	6. Kaiser Permanente
2. Amazon	7. Switch
3. Walmart	8. Prologis
4. Target	9. Facebook
5. Google	10. Solvay

All corporate players are making strides towards their clean energy targets, some of them undertaking aggressive plans for the next decade. Among them are Google, which plans to run its data centres and corporate facilities on 100% carbon-free power by 2030 and Facebook, with its commitment to reaching net zero emissions across its value chain in 2030. The social media giant was one of the largest buyers of off-site solar in 2019 that helped it jump to the 9th spot in SEIA’s list from 27th before.

SEIA anticipates that around 5 GW of off-site commercial solar capacity will be brought live over the next few years as corporations continue to be “walking the walk when it comes to their clean energy commitments.”

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