The tremendous growth in the U.S. solar industry is helping to pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. Over the past few years, the cost of a solar energy system has dropped significantly -- helping to give more American families and business access to affordable, clean energy.
Through a portfolio of R&D efforts, including the SunShot Initiative, the Energy Department remains committed to leveraging America’s abundant solar energy resources -- driving research, manufacturing and market solutions to support widespread expansion of the nation’s solar market.
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Counting down our list of top things you didn't know about solar energy -- read on for more on the most abundant energy resource known to mankind.
When buying a solar power system, hardware is not the only expense. There are also "soft costs": permits, financing, installation costs, and more. EERE's SunShot Initiative is working to address those, so that solar power can be even more cost-competitive.
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American solar power continued its rapid growth in 2015, adding new jobs 12 times faster than the rest of the economy, while saving customers tens of millions of dollars per year on energy bills.