Solar energy capacity in San Antonio grew an impressive 37 percent last year, earning the Alamo City a ranking of sixth highest in the United States, according to Environment Texas Research and Policy Center’s new report Shining Cities 2018: How Smart Local Policies Are Expanding Solar Power in America.
The report shows that solar capacity in San Antonio went from 117 megawatts in 2016 to 161 megawatts in 2017, a 37 percent increase that led San Antonio to jump ahead from eighth place in the United States to sixth for total solar capacity. There are more than 1,400 solar installations in the city, including solar on homes, businesses, municipal buildings, community solar projects and utility-scale solar farms. With more than 107 watts of solar installed per person in San Antonio, the report also named the city a “Solar Star” for being one of just 18 cities with more than 50 watts per person.
“San Antonio is leading the way to a future powered by clean, renewable energy,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas Research and Policy Center. “By tapping into more of our vast solar energy potential, we can benefit from cleaner air and fight climate change.”
“San Antonio has continued to commit to a sustainable future and the progress made in renewable energy generation is a clear indicator of that,” said Doug Melnick, chief sustainability officer for the city of San Antonio.
Solar energy helps San Antonio in many ways, including by combating global warming, reducing air pollution, strengthening the electric grid and stabilizing energy costs for residents. According to a new census of solar jobs by the Solar Foundation, 836 people work in the solar industry in Bexar County, the second highest in the state after Travis County.
San Antonio has the potential to go much further on solar. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Energy, 3,721 megawatts of solar could be installed just on small buildings in San Antonio. Google’s Project Sunroof goes further, estimating that San Antonio has 434,000 total rooftops suitable for solar, which together could generate 8,100 megawatts of energy.
Shining Cities is the fifth annual report from Environment Texas Research and Policy Center. Each year, the survey ranks nearly 70 of the nation’s major cities by megawatts of solar energy. The report includes recommendations for cities to expand their solar use, including setting ambitious goals for solar energy adoption, adopting policies to promote or require “solar ready” or zero net energy homes, and installing solar on municipal buildings and schools.
