|11 April 2017|
Americans used more clean energy last year than they did in 2015, according to new research.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) new energy charts show solar energy adoption saw significant growth as the price of panels continues to fall. There was an increase in solar energy use of 38% in 2016 on the previous year with the electricity, commercial and residential sectors seeing major new additions.
“Two thirds of that increase was in the electric sector. These are large installations of thousands of solar panels, usually in the desert,” said A.J. Simon, group leader for LLNL’s energy program.
Wind energy is also contributing more, with power from this source rising 19% year-on-year.
“Generous incentives for renewable energy, combined with improved ‘know-how’ in siting and building wind farms, has led to a favorable environment for growth in this sector,” Simon added.
