A new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Utility-Scale Solar, 2024 Edition, reveals that the United States has installed 80.2 GW (AC) of cumulative utility-scale solar PV across 47 states, with a record 23.9 GW (DC) / 18.5 GW (AC) added in 2023. Most new projects were concentrated in the eastern Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and the southern regions.
The report focuses on projects with capacities above 5 MW (AC) and analyzes trends in deployment, technology, costs, performance, PPA pricing, and value.
Energy storage projects surged in 2023, with 15 existing solar plants adding battery systems and 37 new solar-plus-storage projects coming online. By the end of 2023, the US had 52 solar-plus-battery hybrid plants, with a combined solar capacity of 5.3 GW (AC) and 3 GW/10.5 GWh of battery storage.
The US market remains dominated by crystalline silicon solar modules, which accounted for 72% of new installations in 2023. Thin-film modules also hit a deployment record, with 5 GW (AC) installed.
Fixed-tilt mounting systems were increasingly used in challenging sites and low-sunlight areas like the Northeast, while tracker systems were common in states like Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Single-axis trackers remained the most popular, comprising 96% of tracker projects. The report notes that tracker systems cost, on average, $0.20/W more than fixed-tilt systems.
The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for new projects in 2023 rose slightly to $46/MWh before tax credits but dropped to $31/MWh with federal incentives. Despite these incentives, the report suggests that production tax credits (PTC) are more favorable than investment tax credits (ITC) for most new solar projects.
As of the end of 2023, the US had at least 1.085 TW of utility-scale solar in the pipeline, with nearly 571 GW paired with energy storage. However, the report notes that historically, only 10% of pipeline projects reach completion.
