U.S. solar capacity statistics depend on what is being measured: generator rating, seasonal capability, facility scale or a particular reporting population. The figures here describe generating capacity in megawatts (MW), a measure of power capability—not electricity produced over time. A capacity observation does not state how much electricity a generator produced during a month or year. Annual and monthly EIA tables use distinct measures and vintages, so their values should be read in their own contexts.
Contents
- US solar generating capacity statistics: 2025 EIA utility-scale capacity by nameplate and seasonal rating
- US solar generating capacity statistics: EIA net-summer capacity trend by facility scale
- US solar generating capacity statistics: 2026 monthly net-summer capacity observations
- US solar generating capacity: Small-scale capacity by customer sector
- US solar generating capacity: Net-metered photovoltaic capacity
- Sources
US solar generating capacity statistics: 2025 EIA utility-scale capacity by nameplate and seasonal rating
EIA’s annual Table 4.3 reports three separate capacity ratings for utility-scale solar photovoltaic and solar thermal generators. Nameplate rating is a generator’s maximum rated output under manufacturer-designated specific conditions. Net summer and net winter ratings describe capability for those seasons. These definitions distinguish a rated capability from an annual energy total; the values are alternative ratings, not quantities to add together. Source: EIA Glossary, electricity capacity definitions Source: EIA Annual Table 4.3, “Existing Capacity by Energy Source, 2025”
| Utility-scale technology, United States | Nameplate (MW) | Net summer (MW) | Net winter (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar photovoltaic, 2025 annual | 152,894.7 | 151,956.9 | 151,206.0 |
| Solar thermal, 2025 annual | 1,405.0 | 1,392.0 | 1,288.5 |
Source for all six 2025 annual observations: EIA Annual Table 4.3. The annual table keeps photovoltaic and solar thermal separate and presents each technology under three ratings. For example, the photovoltaic nameplate figure and its net summer figure are not two components of a total; they describe the same capacity population using different rating definitions. The same applies to the winter rating.
Capacity figures can also differ by electrical basis. EIA explains that solar plants may install more panel capacity relative to inverter capacity: module ratings are commonly described on a DC basis, while operating capacity can be reported on an AC basis. This distinction matters when comparing published values, because a module rating and an AC operating rating do not represent the same electrical basis. AC operating capacity and DC module ratings should be compared with their electrical basis identified; a universal conversion ratio would hide that distinction. Source: EIA, “Solar plants typically install more panel capacity relative to their inverter capacity”
US solar generating capacity statistics: EIA net-summer capacity trend by facility scale
EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A reports estimated net summer capacity for utility-scale and small-scale solar photovoltaics. The annual observations below are final for the identified years. The series shows total estimated PV net summer capacity at 32,958.0 MW in 2016, 41,356.8 MW in 2017, 49,667.6 MW in 2018, 58,923.8 MW in 2019 and 73,891.0 MW in 2020. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A
| Year, United States | Total PV net summer (MW) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 32,958.0 |
| 2017 | 41,356.8 |
| 2018 | 49,667.6 |
| 2019 | 58,923.8 |
| 2020 | 73,891.0 |
| 2021 | 93,151.1 |
| 2022 | 111,214.3 |
| 2023 | 138,302.4 |
| 2024 | 175,288.2 |
| 2025 | 211,046.5 |
Source for every displayed observation: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A.
The later annual totals were 93,151.1 MW in 2021, 111,214.3 MW in 2022, 138,302.4 MW in 2023, 175,288.2 MW in 2024 and 211,046.5 MW in 2025. The 2025 total includes 59,088.5 MW of estimated small-scale capacity. This is a reported capacity series, not a generation series. Small-scale PV remains an estimated measure, including in the final annual observation. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A
Selected scale-specific annual observations provide additional context. Utility-scale PV net summer capacity was 20,192.9 MW in 2016, 30,120.5 MW in 2018, 46,306.2 MW in 2020, 71,386.3 MW in 2022 and 122,060.1 MW in 2024. Estimated small-scale PV net summer capacity was 12,765.1 MW in 2016, 19,547.1 MW in 2018, 27,584.8 MW in 2020, 39,828.0 MW in 2022 and 59,088.5 MW in 2025. These utility-scale and small-scale observations describe separate facility groups in the EIA series. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A
The publications present separately defined observations, and the 2025 values differ slightly across the tables. Keep each source’s measure and vintage attached rather than splicing annual ratings into the monthly series or forcing a cross-publication reconciliation. Sources: EIA Annual Table 4.3; EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A
US solar generating capacity statistics: 2026 monthly net-summer capacity observations
The October 23, 2026 release of Table 6.1.A includes monthly observations through August 2026. These 2026 values are preliminary estimates, not full-year totals or forecasts. The total estimated PV net summer capacity was 216,717.4 MW in March, 220,624.8 MW in April and 222,845.5 MW in May. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A, October 23, 2026 release
It was 225,790.8 MW in June, 228,129.4 MW in July and 229,869.6 MW in August. These are monthly observations of capacity, not electricity generated during each month. Because the reported 2026 series is preliminary and stops at August, it should not be described as a full-year 2026 result. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A, October 23, 2026 release
At end-August 2026, the table reports 166,677.0 MW of utility-scale PV net summer capacity and 63,192.6 MW of estimated small-scale PV net summer capacity. Both observations are preliminary and refer to the same month and capacity measure. The total and scale-specific figures are presented within Table 6.1.A; they should not be confused with Table 4.3’s separate 2025 utility-scale ratings. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.A
US solar generating capacity: Small-scale capacity by customer sector
Table 6.1.B breaks out estimated small-scale PV net summer capacity by residential, commercial and industrial sector. For 2023, the researched residential observation is 32,611.3 MW. In 2024, annual final figures were 36,501.8 MW residential, 14,014.0 MW commercial and 2,712.2 MW industrial; in 2025, the corresponding values were 40,314.2 MW, 15,800.4 MW and 2,974.0 MW. These are capacity estimates grouped by sector, rather than counts of systems or measures of electricity generation. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.B
| Period and status | Residential (MW) | Commercial (MW) | Industrial (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 annual final | 36,501.8 | 14,014.0 | 2,712.2 |
| 2025 annual final | 40,314.2 | 15,800.4 | 2,974.0 |
| August 2026 preliminary | 42,735.3 | 17,346.1 | 3,111.2 |
Source for every cell: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.B. In August 2026, preliminary small-scale net summer estimates were 42,735.3 MW residential, 17,346.1 MW commercial and 3,111.2 MW industrial. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.B
EIA notes that improved renewable-data reporting resulted in realignment of commercial and industrial sectors. That reporting change is a limitation when reading sector observations across periods: the figures are still the table’s reported capacity estimates, but sector comparisons should not be treated as proof of particular installation decisions or economic causes. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.B
US solar generating capacity: Net-metered photovoltaic capacity
EIA Annual Table 4.10 reports net-metered capacity by technology and end-use sector. At end-2024, net-metered PV capacity was 34,226.260 MW residential, 13,801.814 MW commercial and 2,566.347 MW industrial. At end-2025, the respective values were 37,748.532 MW, 15,336.902 MW and 2,828.019 MW. These annual observations describe the table’s net-metering population and retain the end-of-year reference date. Source: EIA Annual Table 4.10, “Net Metering Customers and Capacity by Technology Type, by End Use Sector”
The end-use sector labels in Table 4.10 identify which reported net-metering customer group the PV capacity belongs to. That makes the population and measure specific: it is not a count of all small-scale solar capacity, nor is it a generation total. The reported PV rows are distinct from virtual PV, battery and wind rows in the table. Source: EIA Annual Table 4.10
Net-metered capacity should therefore be read alongside, rather than treated as interchangeable with, EIA’s broader small-scale estimates. The two tables identify different reporting populations, and these figures do not support subtracting one from the other to claim an unmetered share. Sources: EIA Annual Table 4.10; EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 6.1.B
Sources
- Table 4.3. Existing Capacity by Energy Source, 2025
- Electric Power Monthly, Table 6.1.A. Estimated Net Summer Solar Photovoltaic Capacity From Utility and Small Scale Facilities
- Electric Power Monthly, Table 6.1.B. Estimated Net Summer Solar Photovoltaic Capacity From Small Scale Facilities by Sector
- Table 4.10. Net Metering Customers and Capacity by Technology Type, by End Use Sector
- Solar plants typically install more panel capacity relative to their inverter capacity
- EIA Glossary: electricity — generator nameplate, net summer and net winter capacity