Ten Best Solar Power Events in 2013 (Infographic)

Modified date: January 14, 2014

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2013 Was a Year of Highs for Solar Power

2013 has been a banner year for solar power installations and achievements around the world. SolarMosaic put together this great infographic highlighting the top ten…

2013 Top Ten Solar Power Achievements (Infographic)

SolarMosaic itself is one of the best things to come to solar power in decades. Thanks to dropping solar panel costs, more residents and investors have access to the technology and the financial benefits that come from solar power systems. That’s not all, however, as governments and corporations have also been doing their part to increase solar power utilization, and with stunning results! Here are a couple of my favorites…

Freshkills Park, on Staten Island, New York, used to be the world’s largest landfill. At the moment, it is a park covering 2,200 acres, about 3.4 mi² (square miles). A 1,500-acre expansion of the park is planned, for a total area of nearly 5.8 mi² , dwarfing Central Park by nearly 450%. SunEdison will install 47 acres worth of solar panels in the park, making Freshkills Park New York City’s largest solar power plant.
SolarMosaic launched the first investment platform that enables the average person to invest directly in solar power projects. Since launch in January, nearly 3,000 people have put in over $5 million, earning a return on the power produced. It’s a great way to invest directly in clean energy production.
Germany, in July 2013, set a world record for solar power production in a single day. 5.1 Twh (terawatt-hours). For comparison, Germany has a land area equivalent to 3% of that of the United States and receives about as much sunlight as the State of Alaska. So far, the United States’ record for solar power generation in a single day is just 0.76 Twh, about 15% that of Germany’s July record.
Also in July 2013, the United States joined a very small club of global solar power producers, those with at least 10 GW (gigawatts) of solar power capacity installed. Only Germany, Italy, Japan, and China are in this club, generating clean solar power for millions of people within their borders.