A new report made by Environment California, a statewide advocacy group, reveals that the state has hit a major renewable energy milestone: it is now home to 1 gigawatt’s-worth of rooftop solar power.
Currently, only five countries were able to hit the 1 gigawatt installation mark to date: Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic.
The energy generated by rooftop solar power installations in California is roughly the size of two coal-fired power plants, but enough to power 750,000 homes.
The solar installations include commercial buildings, existing homes and panels connected to the grid by both smaller utilities and large municipal utilities.
“California can become the Saudi Arabia of the sun if it continues to get behind big, successful solar programs,” said Michelle Kinman of Environment California and co-author of “Building a Brighter Future: California’s Progress Toward a Million Solar Roofs.”
[via EcoGeek / Mercury News]