Utility-Scale Solar Guide
Utility-scale battery storage represents a relatively small percentage of the nation’s energy mix, but elevated demand for electricity is driving increased interest. We’ve gathered the following resources to help stakeholders get up to speed quickly.
Solar Energy Basics
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Learn the basics about solar energy—what it is and the two main types (photovoltaics and concentrated solar-thermal power). Access helpful resources, including information about solar energy research.
Large-Scale Solar Siting Guide
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Get answers to a variety of solar siting questions. Learn about permitting, ideal land conditions, agricultural considerations, and potential impacts to wildlife.
U.S. Utility-Scale Solar
Access project-level data about 1,760 solar projects across the United States. Learn about deployment and tech trends, performance, capacity, and more.
U.S. Electricity by Source
Solar energy represented less than 4% of utility-scale electricity generated in the United States in 2023. See how solar compares to other energy sources like wind, hydropower, natural gas, and coal.
Farmer’s Guide to Solar
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Access this helpful guide for farmers, which covers everything from co-locating solar and crops to solar financing and soil health. See why agrivoltaics might be a good option.
USPVDB
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Explore the United States Large-Scale Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB) for existing photovoltaic facilities in the US. Map services and data are available from the Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory via https://energy.usgs.gov/uspvdb.