Solar Mapping on the Open PV Project

The Open PV Project (image from NREL)

If you have ever wondered where the most solar development is happening in the U.S., you can now find that information with a click of the mouse.

The Open PV Project from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is a facility associated with the U.S. Department of Energy, includes solar mapping information across the country.  Using information gathered over the past decade (1998-present), NREL provides maps of solar projects, from rooftop solar panels to solar farms.

The goal of this project is to collect, organize and distribute knowledge of the location, size, cost and date of every PV installation in United States.

PV installation data like this is helpful for property owners to see that others in their region have made the switch to renewable energy.  For solar developers, the maps can also highlight areas with great potential – or perhaps those areas in which a new solar farm would not face other competition!  The mapping project also provides state-specific data on number/size of installs, solar capacity and cost per watt for solar energy.

According to NREL’s website:

The two largest solar trade groups, the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Solar Electric Power Association, are fans of the Open PV project and are encouraging their members to use the maps and graphs as tools to grow their businesses.

The Open PV project uses information gathered from government entities, industries and you… the general public.  If you have installed solar panels, be sure to pinpoint your location on the map, create an account, and add your own data.

Here is the link to the solar map as it stands today:  Open PV Project.

Be sure to log in today and be amazed at the growth in PV installations across the country!

Tags: maps of solar projects, national renewable energy laboratory, NREL, open pv project, PV installation data, pv installations, solar map, solar mapping, solar progressive heat map