Rooftop solar panels: benefits, costs, and smart policies

Rooftop solar in the United States experienced rapid growth between 2008 and 2014, driven by a 45% decrease in household system prices from 2010 to 2014 and the rise of third-party ownership models. The technology provides significant environmental benefits, including zero carbon emissions and minimal water use during electricity generation, while supporting a domestic industry that employed over 170,000 people by 2014. Growth is further sustained by federal and state policies such as net metering, feed-in tariffs, and a 30% federal investment tax credit.

• Rooftop solar adoption in the U.S. grew rapidly between 2008 and 2014, with residential, commercial, and institutional installations increasing by more than 50 percent annually. By 2014, U.S. businesses had installed over 900 MW of rooftop solar, including companies like Walmart, Apple, Costco, and Kohl's.
• The cost of household solar systems in the U.S. fell by 45% between 2010 and 2014, attributed to technological advances, economies of scale, and reductions in "soft" costs like permitting and inspection. Global production contributed to this trend, increasing from 24,000 MW in 2010 to 40,000 MW in 2014.
• Third-party ownership has become a dominant model for residential solar, accounting for more than 70% of new systems in 2014. These arrangements, such as solar leases or power purchase agreements, allow customers to pay little or nothing upfront.
• The solar industry is a significant economic driver in the U.S., employing over 170,000 people in 2014 and investing nearly $15 billion annually into the economy. The industry comprised more than 6,000 companies across all 50 states by 2014.
• Rooftop solar offers substantial environmental advantages over fossil fuels and nuclear power, as PV generation produces no carbon dioxide, harmful emissions like mercury or sulfur dioxide, or long-lasting nuclear waste. Additionally, PV systems require no water to generate electricity, unlike steam-based power plants.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Rooftop solar panels: benefits, costs, and smart policies. https://www.ucs.org/resources/rooftop-solar-panels-benefits-costs-and-smart-policies

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Rooftop solar panels: benefits, costs, and smart policies. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/resources/rooftop-solar-panels-benefits-costs-and-smart-policies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Rooftop solar panels: benefits, costs, and smart policies |date=11 September 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/rooftop-solar-panels-benefits-costs-and-smart-policies |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015rooftop, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Rooftop solar panels: benefits, costs, and smart policies}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/rooftop-solar-panels-benefits-costs-and-smart-policies}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }