California Sets New Winter Solar Generation Record

California is becoming known for its solar power capacity, and this winter, the state set a new record in solar power generation during the winter months.

Winter days deliver about four fewer hours of daylight in California, as compared to high summer hours, but that’s not stopping the state from setting peak solar power generation records

In August, California passed the milestone of 1,029 megawatts (MW) of solar power production. Surprisingly, it nearly reached that peak August generation level during the week of the Winter Solstice, which is the least-sunny time of the year, setting a new winter solar power generation record. San Francisco to San Diego solar companies are excited with this new record.

On December 19, solar power generation ranged from 950 to 1000 MW. While that isn’t really a ton of energy, it’s an important milestone because of the time of year. During the Winter Solstice, The sun is lower in the sky than at any other time of year, which means that there is much less solar energy available for solar panels to utilize.

The underlying point is that California’s solar energy generating capacity has grown significantly since the August record was set. And compared to last year, the growth is very impressive. In December 2011, there was a maximum output of only 200 MW of solar power production.

Throughout the state, from San Francisco to San Diego solar projects are becoming more common, and the growth is expected to continue or even increase in 2013. This is not only good, but starting to become a necessity, as a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels will be needed to avoid the effects of future climate change according to the vast majority of climate scientists.