Hawaii ranks second in the U.S. for the number of solar energy installations in the state.
According to a report released Tuesday by the SunEdison Renewable Energy Solutions Center, the state’s total installed solar energy capacity of 1,902 megawatts (MW) was 6.9% higher than the nation average and more than 50% higher compared to 2016.
Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that generates power through the sun.
Hawaii ranks fifth in the nation for solar energy installed per capita, and sixth for installed solar PV capacity.
The report also found Hawaii ranked third for installed PV solar power capacity in 2020, which was nearly 5% higher over the nation.
SunEdison said Hawaii has more than 1,000 MW of installed solar power in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
The state also ranked fourth for solar PV PV capacity in 2021.
The study said Hawaii ranks fifth nationally in installed solar thermal capacity, which is the amount of solar panels used to generate electricity.
Sun Edison said the solar thermal industry employs more than 20,000 people in Hawaii, and solar energy is growing rapidly.
Sun Edison said solar thermal is a relatively new technology that has become increasingly popular in recent years as utilities have become more aggressive in their solar PV investments.
Sun EDISON is a subsidiary of SunEdson Corporation, a unit of SunPower Corporation, based in Kansas City, Mo.