By Philip Bump
grist
Without question, residential rooftop solar is a boon: economically, environmentally, aesthetically (if you’re into that sci-fi thing). But there’s a drawback to democratizing power generation — it’s hard to count. A company building a new coal plant is easier to learn about than the Smiths putting a solar panel on their roof. Figuring out how many solar panels there are is tricky; it means coming up with new ways of generating approximations.
The Energy Information Association, a branch of the Department of Energy, thinks it’s figured out how to add it up. On Wednesday, it released the first such accounting. How much rooftop solar is there? A lot.
Also: Time For A Plant Upgrade? Why Solar Manufacturers Should Invest Now/Solar Industry
