APS sets record for residential solar installations
Posted 3/11/22
Arizona Public Service Co. saw its biggest year for solar in 2021, with more residential systems being installed than ever before in the utility’s history.
The utility saw 141 megawatts of …
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Arizona Public Service Co. saw its biggest year for solar in 2021, with more residential systems being installed than ever before in the utility’s history.
The utility saw 141 megawatts of residential solar installed during the year, along with another 7 megawatts of commercial solar to set a record as the most ever in a single year, utility officials said.
APS is the state’s largest utility and serves the bulk of its 1.3 million customers in the Phoenix area. It has a goal to have all its generation done by carbon-free sources by 2050.
“Every day we’re working toward a more sustainable tomorrow for Arizona as part of our commitment to serve customers with 100% clean and carbon-free energy by 2050,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS executive vice president of operations in a statement.
To date, nearly 141,000 solar systems on customer rooftops and parking structures are already connected to the APS smart grid, providing almost 1,300 megawatts of robust solar capacity. A megawatt is enough to power between 400 and 900 homes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Last year the amount of residential solar generating capacity installed in APS service territory was 20% higher than 2020. Nationally, only Hawaii and California have more residential solar capacity per capita than Arizona.
In addition:
• APS ranks fourth nationally for the percentage of residential customers with rooftop solar systems.
• APS customers installed a record amount of residential solar capacity in 2021.
• 15% of all single-family homes in APS territory have a solar system and that number continues to grow.
Residential solar is just part of the equation in the APS territory. The utility has constructed 10 large-scale solar facilities that make up its AZ Sun fleet. These solar plants can produce enough locally generated, carbon-free energy to run approximately 60,000 dryer loads of laundry at once. They provide a reliable source of renewable energy and play an innovative role in APS’s clean energy transition.
Since announcing its Clean Energy Commitment in 2020, APS has procured nearly 1,400 megawatts of clean energy and storage — all of which will be in service for APS customers by the end of 2024.
APS also has begun installing batteries at its solar plants to keep power going after sunset, officials said.
To learn about APS’s transition to cleaner energy, visit aps.com/brighter.
