Electricity
Electricity Monthly Update
With Data for September 2017 | Release Date: Dec. 1, 2017 | Next Release Date: Dec. 27, 2017
Previous Issues
Highlights: September 2017
- Electricity demand in California (CAISO) reached 50 GW on September 1, just short of an all-time record, as an extreme heat wave enveloped the state.
- Wholesale electricity prices exceeded $170/MWh in CAISO on September 1 due to the heat wave.
- Net generation in the United States decreased by 4.9% compared to September 2016, in part because the country experienced a cooler September in 2017 than it did the previous year.
Key indicators
Monthly data better tracks the continuing decline in the average price of PV solar modules in the United States
Monthly data for first six months of 2017 show a decline in the U.S. average price of modules in dollars per peak watt. The average monthly price of solar PV modules decreased from 79¢ per peak watt in January 2017 to 52¢ per peak watt in June.
A new monthly schedule has been added to the Solar Photovoltaic Modules Shipments Survey. Prior to 2017, only annual data was collected. The monthly data represent reporting by major companies that make up at least 90% of the total shipments reported by annual filers in 2015. This survey provides data on U.S. solar photovoltaic shipments, prices, imports, and exports.
The annual average price of modules dropped from $3.50 per peak watt in 2008 to less than $1.00 per peak watt in 2013. Since then, the average price based on all solar photovoltaic module technologies has remained below $1.00 per peak watt. Oversupply of solar modules resulting from Chinese exports is often cited as the primary reason for declining prices in recent years.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-63B, Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report.Shipments of solar modules
Total monthly shipments of solar modules in 2017 had a slow start, then shipments grew 113% from February to March, and then showed a 53% growth from May to June. The second quarter of 2017 showed a 31% quarter-over-quarter growth in total shipments over the first quarter.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-63B, Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report.Annual data show that average monthly shipments have increased significantly over the 2006 to 2016 period. The most rapid growth occurred between 2014 and 2016, where average monthly shipments expanded by 116%, moving from 519,794 peak kilowatts per month in 2014 to 1,120,932 peak kilowatts per month in 2016.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-63B, Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report.Import and export trends
The United States is a net importer of solar photovoltaic modules. Monthly U.S. imports of solar photovoltaic modules grew in the first six months of 2017, with the largest month-over-month increase of 46% between May and June. U.S. exports showed month-over-month growth in most months, but there was a slight 15% month-over-month decline between May and June.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-63B, Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report.Shipments by state/territory
California leads the United States in quantity of peak kilowatts shipped into the state, followed by North Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida. California leads the United States in solar PV installations.
Principal Contributor:
Lolita Jamison
(Lolita.Jamison@eia.gov)