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Solar power in South Carolina facts for kids

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Solar Powered recycle cans, Myrtle Beach, SC Boardwalk
Solar-powered recycle cans, Myrtle Beach

Solar power is a way to make electricity using sunlight. In South Carolina, more and more people are using solar energy. It's becoming cheaper to install solar panels. Also, the government offers special help, like tax credits, which means you get some money back. This makes it even easier for homes and businesses to switch to solar power.

Solar Power in South Carolina

Solar power is a clean and renewable way to get electricity. It uses special panels, called solar panels, to capture energy from the sun. This energy can then power homes, schools, and businesses. South Carolina is a sunny state, which makes it a great place for solar energy.

Why Solar Power is Growing

Solar power is getting very popular in South Carolina. One big reason is that it costs less to set up solar panels now. Plus, there are special programs that help people pay for them.

  • Tax Credits: The government offers a federal tax credit that can cover 30% of the cost of installing solar panels. South Carolina also has its own tax credit for 25%. This means you could get back 55% of the cost through these credits! It's like getting a big discount.

Big Solar Projects in South Carolina

South Carolina has some impressive solar power projects. These projects help power many places across the state.

  • Grand Strand Solar Station: In 2011, the Grand Strand Solar Station in Myrtle Beach was the biggest solar project in the state. It could produce 311 kilowatts (kW) of power. A kilowatt is a unit of power, and 311 kW is enough to power many homes.
  • Boeing's Solar Roof: Later in 2011, the Boeing company built an even bigger solar project. They covered the roof of their 787 airplane assembly building with solar panels. This huge solar array can produce 2.6 megawatts (MW) of power. A megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts, so 2.6 MW is a lot of power! It provides about 20% of the energy needed for that large building.

How Much Sun Does South Carolina Get?

The amount of sunshine a place gets is important for solar power. The chart below shows how many hours of sun Columbia, South Carolina, gets each day on average throughout the year.

Source: NREL

As you can see, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October are the sunniest months. The average is about 5.10 hours of sun per day, which is great for making solar energy!

South Carolina's Solar Growth

The table below shows how much solar power has been installed in South Carolina over the years. This is measured in megawatts (MW).

Installed Photovoltaics
Year Total (MW) Installed (MW)
2009 0.6
2010 0.9 0.3
2011 4.1 3.2
2012 4.6 0.5
2013 8.0 3.5
2014 12 4
2015 15 3
2016 115 100
2017 405 390
2018 555 150
2019 1,158.7 603.7
2020 1,781.6 622.9
2021 1,923.8 142.2
2022 2,314 390.2

This table shows a huge increase in solar power.

  • In 2009, there was only 0.6 MW of solar power.
  • By 2016, it jumped to 115 MW!
  • In 2022, South Carolina had over 2,300 MW of solar power installed. This shows how quickly the state is adopting solar energy.
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