US Solar Statistics & Planning Examples
Source-dated market facts, with calculator examples kept separate from measured industry data.
Published US market data
Each reporting period is separate. Installed generation power in GW DC is not stored energy in GWh or a count of rooftop installations.
Nearly 299 GW DC
Cumulative US solar capacity reported in the current SEIA summary
Snapshot checked October 7, 2026; the summary does not give a precise cutoff date for this total.
Source: SEIA market summary
20.2 GWh
Energy storage added in the second quarter
Q2 2026; included in the first-half total, not additional to it.
Source: SEIA storage summary
Over 71%
Share of new US capacity represented by solar and storage together
First half of 2026; not the share of all electricity generated.
Source: SEIA market summary
Over 8%
Solar share of US electricity generation
2025; not a 2026 generation estimate.
Source: SEIA generation summary
Residential federal credit eligibility
Tax treatment depends on the provision, ownership and placed-in-service date. This is not tax advice or a statement about commercial or third-party-owned projects.
No Section 25D credit
Property placed in service after December 31, 2025 is not eligible under the IRS residential clean energy credit guidance.
IRS eligibility page checked October 7, 2026.
Reproducible planning examples, not national averages
These are illustrative inputs evaluated with the same functions as our calculators. They are not customer measurements, market medians or installer bids.
System sizing example
With 12,000 kWh/year, 100% offset and an illustrative 1,400 kWh/kW/year yield, the model returns 8.57 kW and 22 panels at 400 W. Panel rounding means installed DC capacity can exceed the unrounded energy-balance target.
Model example updated October 7, 2026.
Source: Wattcrunch system-size method
Savings example
Illustrative year one: an 8 kW system at 1,250 kWh/kW/year produces 10,000 kWh. At 60% self-use, $0.25 retail and $0.06 export value, the model returns $1740.00. A $24,000 net cost has 13.79-year simple payback if rates and production stay constant. Maintenance, financing and replacements are excluded.
Illustrative 2026 homeowner scenario.
Source: Wattcrunch savings method
4.36 metric tonnes/year
Illustrative example: an 8 kW system at 4.5 peak sun hours/day and 14.08% system losses generates 11,290 kWh in year one. At an assumed 0.386 kg CO2/kWh (0.851 lb/kWh), that is 4.36 metric tonnes in year one and 102.7 tonnes over 25 years with 0.5% annual degradation. The emissions factor is a planning assumption, not a current national or marginal avoided-emissions rate.
Illustrative factor, not an imported current EPA average or marginal avoided-emissions rate.
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Wattcrunch. US Solar Statistics & Planning Examples. Updated 2026-10-07. https://wattcrunch.tech/solar-stats.
Calculate your own scenario
Your roof, consumption, export settlement, equipment and financing change the result. Compare consistent inputs and verify them with an installer.