Energy & Infrastructure / Briefing
U.S. Rooftop Solar Quadrupled in a Decade: What the EIA Estimates Show
EIA estimates small-scale solar generation rose from 18,812 GWh in 2016 to 92,979 GWh in 2025. The growth is real, but the figures are survey- and model-based estimates.
AI-assisted drafting; editorial approval does not constitute independent fact-checking.
What the EIA reported
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that generation from small-scale solar—systems under 1 megawatt, mostly rooftop—grew from 18,812 GWh in 2016 to 92,979 GWh in 2025. The year-over-year increase peaked at 25% in 2022 and the growth rate has since declined. [EIA-SOLAR]
Accessible data / text alternative
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 total | 18,812 GWh | U.S. small-scale solar estimate |
| 2025 total | 92,979 GWh | About 4.9x the 2016 level |
| California | 34,411 GWh | 37% of the 2025 U.S. total |
| Texas growth | 391 to 5,408 GWh | 2016 to 2025 |
How fast the largest states grew
Texas multiplied its small-scale solar generation nearly fourteenfold between 2016 and 2025, and Florida grew roughly twenty-five-fold over the same period, though both remain far behind California in absolute terms. [EIA-SOLAR]
Accessible data / text alternative
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 18812 GWh | 2016 |
| U.S. | 92979 GWh | 2025 |
| Texas | 391 GWh | 2016 |
| Texas | 5408 GWh | 2025 |
| Florida | 205 GWh | 2016 |
| Florida | 5198 GWh | 2025 |
Why the distribution matters
California produced 34,411 GWh, 37% of the 2025 total, while Texas grew from 391 GWh in 2016 to 5,408 GWh and Florida from 205 GWh to 5,198 GWh. The figures reflect capacity additions and incentive programs, not a uniform national trend. New York ranks fifth despite lower solar resources, which the EIA attributes partly to state incentives. [EIA-SOLAR]
Accessible data / text alternative
| State | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| California (CA) | 34411 GWh | Ranked first; 37% of the 2025 U.S. total |
| Texas (TX) | 5408 GWh | Named as a leading state; up from 391 GWh in 2016 |
| Florida (FL) | 5198 GWh | Named as a leading state; up from 205 GWh in 2016 |
| New York (NY) | not stated | Ranked fifth in the source article; its GWh figure is not stated |
Read the estimate, not just the headline
Utilities do not meter rooftop output directly, so the EIA derives generation from survey data and models including NREL tools. Quadrupled capacity-based estimates still describe real expansion, but the exact GWh figures carry model uncertainty. Watch whether post-2022 growth keeps slowing as incentive programs change.
Sources and editorial notes
- EIA Today in Energy — U.S. small-scale solar generation has quadrupled in the last decade
Article text read on November 3, 2026; published October 16, 2026. EIA is a U.S. government statistical agency; figures are model-based estimates described in the article, not meter readings. No EIA charts or images reused.
Educational context, not personalized investment advice. Source dates and stated limitations matter. No affiliate links.