Always struggle getting a sense of scale with these figures. How much generating capacity does the US currently have? Every time I look it up, I get answers that are hard to make sense of.
Like if you just do a simple google search for how much generating capacity the US has, you get 1.3 million megawatts. If both that number and this chart are correct, it would imply we added one half of all our existing capacity in the last year, and I know that's not correct.
The issue (mostly) is that this graph is global, not national.
I would guess not a ton because it only started ramping up recently and I can't imagine panels depreciate that fast, but who knows
Like if you just do a simple google search for how much generating capacity the US has, you get 1.3 million megawatts. If both that number and this chart are correct, it would imply we added one half of all our existing capacity in the last year, and I know that's not correct.
Okay so you’re reading the chart wrong! It’s *total cumulative install* not operative capacity. The 600+ number on the chart is all installed panels ever not what’s operating now. Also keep in mind installed solar capacity is much less power per unit than eg gas plants. Much lower utilization.
So for example if I’ve got a nameplate capacity solar instal that can do 1MW, it’s only doing that at peak every day, best case scenario. It gets nothing at night and ramps to peak in morning/evening. So to get 24 MWh (1MW for 1d) you need a lot more than 1MW of solar capacity installed (+ battery).
Oh I misread you’re right it isn’t cumulative. And yes I saw that other reply and it is global not national. Roughly ties out to this chart. ember-climate.org/insights/in-...
