In 2024, net solar power generation in the United States reached its highest point yet at 218.5 terawatt hours of solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) power. Solar power generation has increased drastically over the past two decades, especially since 2011, when it hovered just below two terawatt hours. The U.S. solar industry In the United States, an exceptionally high number of solar-related jobs are based in California. With a boost from state legislation, California has long been a forerunner in solar technology. In the second quarter of 2024, it had a cumulative solar PV capacity of more than 48 gigawatts. Outside of California, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina were the states with the largest solar PV capacity. Clean energy in the U.S. In recent years, solar power generation has seen more rapid growth than wind power in the United States. However, among renewables used for electricity, wind has been a more common and substantial source for the past decade. Wind power surpassed conventional hydropower as the largest source of renewable electricity in 2019. While there are major environmental costs often associated with the construction and operation of large hydropower facilities, hydro remains a vital source of electricity generation for the United States.

This research focused on accelerating solar photovoltaic (PV) diffusion by collecting new market data and developing predictive modeling frameworks to test and refine understandings of household level motivations for adopting solar.

Three different household-level surveys were fielded: one for households who had installed PV on their current home or had signed a contract to do so (the Adopter survey), one for households that had seriously considered PV but had not installed it (the Considerer survey), and one for the general population who did not have PV on their current home (the general population survey or GPS). Survey respondents were from four U.S. states: New Jersey, New York, Arizona, and California. Details of recruiting and sampling are documented below.

Research projects on residential PV adoption often collect data only from PV adopters or from the general population. One of the innovations of this project was the three-pronged household survey data collection. By collecting similar data from three fairly different "statuses" with respect to adoption, the surveys provide a basis for understanding how those who do not have rooftop PV differ from those who have, for how and why people do (or don't) transition from not having to having rooftop PV on their home, and for understanding the characteristics and viewpoints of households who have scarcely, or not at all, entered the "PV consideration" track. All three surveys covered single-family owner-occupied households in each of the four target states used in the project -- Arizona, California, New Jersey, and New York - allowing a comparative approach to understanding how the factors that affect PV adoption vary by geography and policy conditions.

The General Population and Considerer surveys provide a basis for understanding opinions about and interest in solar, and how these relate to household demographics and other conditions. Paired with the Adopter survey, they also provide data for understanding how those who do not have rooftop PV differ from those who have, and for how and why people do (or don't) transition from not having to having rooftop PV on their home. The Adopter survey questions were designed to capture a broad range of information on what motivates and impedes households to install rooftop PV, as well as the details and timing of the decision and installation. Survey instrument development drew from existing PV adoption survey instruments, PV adoption literature, and research team experience, as well as from past work on household interest in energy efficiency, environmental attitudes, purchasing tendencies, and related knowledge. Early interviews and discussions with installers and others in the PV industry were also taken into consideration.

This dataset comprises Typical Solar Years (TSYs) and Typical Wind Years (TWYs) for the efficient assessment of PV system and wind turbine performance for over 2,000 locations across the U.S. TSYs and TWYs are single synthetic years generated from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) data spanning from 2001 to 2022. These synthetic years represent the long-term average solar and wind resource conditions of a location, respectively. The POWER solar data is derived from satellite observations and has a spatial resolution of 1 degree * 1 degree (latitude/longitude). The meteorological variables are sourced from NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) assimilation model, which features a spatial resolution of 1/2 degree * 5/8 degree (latitude/longitude). The methods for creating TSYs and TWYs are adapted from the Sandia method. Specifically, the weights assigned to different weather parameters have been adjusted, and the final selection step has been omitted. For TSYs, a weight of 0.7 is assigned to daily cumulative GHI, and 0.3 is assigned to daily cumulative DNI. For TWYs, weights of 0.2, 0.2, and 0.6 are assigned to daily median zonal wind speed, daily median meridional wind speed, and daily 0.75 quantile wind speed, respectively. These weights have been optimized based on the simulated solar PV system and wind turbine outputs. 12 representative months are then selected based on their Finkelstein-Schafer (FS) statistics and concatenated into a synthetic year. The paper describing our methodology has been published in Applied Energy and is available via the "Project Publication" resource link below. The TSYs and TWYs are provided for the centroids of all Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the U.S. PUMAs are non-overlapping statistical geographic areas that partition each state or equivalent entity into regions containing no fewer than 100,000 people each. The 2,378 PUMAs collectively cover the entire U.S. A file named "PUMA information.csv" is included with the dataset, containing the PUMA number, PUMA name, latitude, longitude, elevation, and time zone of all PUMA centroids. Users can reference this file to find the PUMAs corresponding to their locations of interest. To accommodate different user communities, the data is provided in three formats. The TSYs are available in EPW and SAM weather file formats, while the TWYs are available in EPW, SAM weather file, and CSV formats. The EPW format, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a de facto standard for weather data in building energy modeling and is compatible with various building energy modeling programs, including EnergyPlus, ESP-r, and IESVE. The SAM weather file format is designed for the System Advisor Model (SAM), a renewable energy project evaluation tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). If you use this dataset in your research, please consider citing our paper: Zeng, Z., Stackhouse, P., Kim, J.-H. (Jeannie), & Muehleisen, R. T. (2025). Development of typical solar years and typical wind years for efficient assessment of renewable energy systems across the U.S. Applied Energy, 377, 124698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124698.

The site suitability criteria included in the techno-economic land use screens are listed below. As this list is an update to previous cycles, tribal lands, prime farmland, and flood zones are not included as they are not technically infeasible for development. The techno-economic site suitability exclusion thresholds are presented in Table 1. Distances indicate the minimum distance from each feature for commercial scale solar development.Attributes:Steeply sloped areas: change in vertical elevation compared to horizontal distancePopulation density: the number of people living in a 1 km2 areaUrban areas: defined by the U.S. Census.8Water bodies: defined by the U.S. National Atlas Water Feature Areas, available from Argonne National Lab Energy Zone Mapping Tool9Railways: a comprehensive database of North America's railway system from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), available from Argonne National Lab Energy Zone Mapping ToolMajor highways: available from ESRI Living Atlas10Airports: The Airports dataset including other aviation facilities as of July 13, 2018 is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The Airports database is a geographic point database of aircraft landing facilities in the United States and U.S. Territories. Attribute data is provided on the physical and operational characteristics of the landing facility, current usage including enplanements and aircraft operations, congestion levels and usage categories. This geospatial data is derived from the FAA's National Airspace System Resource Aeronautical Data Product. Available from Argonne National Lab Energy Zone Mapping ToolActive mines: Active Mines and Mineral Processing Plants in the United States in 200311Military Lands: Land owned by the federal government that is part of a US military base, camp, post, station, yard, center or installation.Table 1 Solar Steeply sloped areas >10o Population density >100/km2 Capacity factor <20% Urban areas <500 m Water bodies <250 m Railways <30 m Major highways <125 m Airports <1000 m Active mines <1000 m Military Lands <1000m For more information about the processes and sources used to develop the screening criteria see sources 1-7 in the footnotes. Data updates occur as needed, corresponding to typical 3-year CPUC IRP planning cycles.Footnotes:[1] Lopez, A. et. al. “U.S. Renewable Energy Technical Potentials: A GIS-Based Analysis,” 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/51946.pdf[2] https://greeningthegrid.org/Renewable-Energy-Zones-Toolkit/topics/social-environmental-and-other-impacts#ReadingListAndCaseStudies[3] Multi-Criteria Analysis for Renewable Energy (MapRE), University of California Santa Barbara. https://mapre.es.ucsb.edu/[4] Larson, E. et. al. “Net-Zero America: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, Interim Report.” Princeton University, 2020. https://environmenthalfcentury.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf331/files/2020-12/Princeton_NZA_Interim_Report_15_Dec_2020_FINAL.pdf.[5] Wu, G. et. al. “Low-Impact Land Use Pathways to Deep Decarbonization of Electricity.” Environmental Research Letters 15, no. 7 (July 10, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d1.[6] RETI Coordinating Committee, RETI Stakeholder Steering Committee. “Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative Phase 1B Final Report.” California Energy Commission, January 2009.[7] Pletka, Ryan, and Joshua Finn. “Western Renewable Energy Zones, Phase 1: QRA Identification Technical Report.” Black & Veatch and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2009. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/46877.pdf.[8] https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php?year=2019&layergroup=Urban+Areas[9] https://ezmt.anl.gov/[10] https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fc870766a3994111bce4a083413988e4[11] https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mineplant/CreditsTitle: Techno-economic screening criteria for utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy installations for Integrated Resource PlanningPurpose for creation: These exclusion criteria are for use in electric system planning, capacity expansion modeling, and integrated resource planning.Keywords: solar, photovoltaic, resource potential, techno-economic, PV, IRPExtent: western states of the contiguous U.S.Use LimitationsThe geospatial data created by the use of these techno-economic screens inform high-level estimates of technical renewable resource potential for electric system planning and should not be used, on their own, to guide siting of generation projects nor assess project-level impacts. Confidentiality: PublicContactEmily Leslie Emily@MontaraMtEnergy.comSam Schreiber sam.schreiber@ethree.com Jared Ferguson Jared.Ferguson@cpuc.ca.gov Oluwafemi Sawyerr femi@ethree.com

Investment into renewable energy technologies has grown significantly in the United States over the last decades. In 2023, investments reached **** billion U.S. dollars, in comparison to **** billion U.S. dollars in 2013. The United States’ renewable market has benefitted from green stimulus programs and uncertainties in renewable tax credits. The United States has also focused heavily on small-scale solar as well as utility-scale renewable technologies. Global renewable investments Investments in clean energy totaled *** billion U.S. dollars in 2022. China, Europe, and the United States are the largest investors in clean energy worldwide. Solar and wind technologies are the most heavily invested in worldwide. Due to the decrease in the cost of wind and solar technologies, it has been possible to purchase equipment for lower prices.

The United States electric grid, a vast and complex infrastructure, has experienced numerous outages from 2002 to 2023, with causes ranging from extreme weather events to cyberattacks and aging infrastructure. The resilience of the grid has been tested repeatedly as demand for electricity continues to grow while climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of storms, wildfires, and other natural disasters.

Between 2002 and 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy recorded thousands of power outages, varying in scale from localized blackouts to large-scale regional failures affecting millions. The Northeast blackout of 2003 was one of the most significant, impacting 50 million people across the United States and Canada. A software bug in an alarm system prevented operators from recognizing and responding to transmission line failures, leading to a cascading effect that took hours to contain and days to restore completely.

Weather-related disruptions have been among the most common causes of outages, particularly hurricanes, ice storms, and heatwaves. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, knocking out power for over 1.7 million customers. Similarly, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread destruction in the Northeast, leaving over 8 million customers in the dark. More recently, the Texas winter storm of February 2021 resulted in one of the most catastrophic power failures in state history. Unusually cold temperatures overwhelmed the state’s independent power grid, leading to equipment failures, frozen natural gas pipelines, and rolling blackouts that lasted days. The event highlighted vulnerabilities in grid preparedness for extreme weather, particularly in regions unaccustomed to such conditions.

Wildfires in California have also played a significant role in grid outages. The state's largest utility companies, such as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), have implemented preemptive power shutoffs to reduce wildfire risks during high-wind events. These Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) have affected millions of residents, causing disruptions to businesses, emergency services, and daily life. The 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, was ignited by faulty PG&E transmission lines, leading to increased scrutiny over utility maintenance and fire mitigation efforts.

In addition to natural disasters, cyber threats have emerged as a growing concern for the U.S. electric grid. In 2015 and 2016, Russian-linked cyberattacks targeted Ukraine’s power grid, serving as a stark warning of the potential vulnerabilities in American infrastructure. In 2021, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, while not directly targeting the electric grid, demonstrated how critical energy infrastructure could be compromised, leading to widespread fuel shortages and economic disruptions. Federal agencies and utility companies have since ramped up investments in cybersecurity measures to protect against potential attacks.

Aging infrastructure remains another pressing issue. Many parts of the U.S. grid were built decades ago and have not kept pace with modern energy demands or technological advancements. The shift towards renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, presents new challenges for grid stability, requiring updated transmission systems and improved energy storage solutions. Federal and state governments have initiated grid modernization efforts, including investments in smart grids, microgrids, and battery storage to enhance resilience and reliability.

Looking forward, the future of the U.S. electric grid depends on continued investments in infrastructure, cybersecurity, and climate resilience. With the increasing electrification of transportation and industry, demand for reliable and clean energy will only grow. Policymakers, utility companies, and regulators must collaborate to address vulnerabilities, adapt to emerging threats, and ensure a more robust, efficient, and sustainable electric grid for the decades to come.

Solar Microgrid Pay-As-You-Go Platform Market Outlook

As per our latest research, the global Solar Microgrid Pay-As-You-Go Platform market size in 2024 stands at USD 2.13 billion, with a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8% projected through the forecast period. By 2033, the market is expected to reach USD 10.88 billion, driven by surging demand for decentralized energy solutions, technological advancements, and the growing need for energy access in underserved regions. This remarkable growth is underpinned by increasing investments in renewable energy infrastructure, supportive government initiatives, and the adoption of digital payment technologies that facilitate scalable, flexible, and affordable energy solutions for both rural and urban populations.

One of the primary growth factors for the Solar Microgrid Pay-As-You-Go Platform market is the accelerating pace of rural electrification, particularly in emerging economies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In these regions, millions of people remain without reliable access to electricity, creating a substantial addressable market for solar microgrid solutions. The pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model allows end-users to access electricity through flexible payment options, making solar microgrids financially accessible to low-income households and small businesses. This model not only democratizes energy access but also supports sustainable development goals by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting clean, renewable energy. Additionally, the integration of mobile payment technologies and IoT-enabled smart meters has significantly enhanced the efficiency and scalability of PAYG platforms, further fueling market expansion.

Another significant driver is the increasing focus on energy resilience and grid modernization in both developed and developing economies. As climate change and extreme weather events pose growing threats to centralized power grids, there is a rising demand for distributed energy systems that can operate independently or in conjunction with existing infrastructure. Solar microgrids, equipped with advanced PAYG platforms, offer a reliable and cost-effective solution for communities and enterprises seeking to enhance their energy security. The flexibility of deployment, combined with real-time monitoring and remote management capabilities, makes these platforms attractive for utilities, commercial entities, and industrial users aiming to optimize their energy consumption and reduce operational risks.

The proliferation of digital technologies and the evolution of innovative business models are also catalyzing the growth of the Solar Microgrid Pay-As-You-Go Platform market. The convergence of cloud computing, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence enables service providers to deliver personalized, data-driven energy solutions that cater to the unique needs of diverse end-users. Furthermore, partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations, and private sector players are fostering the development of robust ecosystems that support the deployment and scaling of PAYG solar microgrids. These collaborations are instrumental in overcoming barriers related to financing, logistics, and customer engagement, thereby accelerating market penetration and driving long-term sustainability.

Regionally, the Asia Pacific market is emerging as a dominant force, accounting for the largest share of global revenue in 2024, followed closely by Africa and Latin America. This regional leadership is attributed to the presence of large off-grid populations, proactive policy frameworks, and significant investments in renewable energy projects. North America and Europe, while more mature in terms of grid infrastructure, are witnessing growing adoption of PAYG solar microgrids in remote and disaster-prone areas, as well as among environmentally conscious consumers and enterprises. The Middle East is also experiencing steady growth, driven by efforts to diversify energy sources and promote sustainable development in remote and rural communities.

The data were collected in Rwanda using the mixed research methodology, the questionnaire were designed in a way to allow us to collect the qualitative and quantitative data. Different stakeholders who are directly related to solar energy were considered such as Regulators, Policy makers, Utility, Non government organisation, private solar company and end-users. The end-user interviewed are located in Kamonyi district, Runda sector, Kanogo cell the total number of solar home system were 30 people in the cell and we decided to to talk to all of them.

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Road Stud And Delineator Market Size 2025-2029

The road stud and delineator market size is forecast to increase by USD 807.1 million, at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is driven by the increasing incidence of road accidents, which necessitates the installation of effective traffic safety devices. These devices, including road studs and delineators, enhance road safety by improving visibility and guiding vehicles, particularly during adverse weather conditions or at night. The development of pipelines for transporting hydrogen is a promising trend in the market, as the demand for clean energy sources continues to rise. A significant trend in the market is the development of solar-powered road studs, which addresses the challenge of power supply and maintenance costs associated with traditional road studs. Solar-powered studs offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution, as they harness energy from the sun to charge their batteries and emit light at night.
However, the increasing cost of road studs and delineators poses a challenge for market growth, as budget constraints may limit their widespread adoption. To capitalize on market opportunities, companies should focus on innovation and cost reduction strategies, such as the development of energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions. Additionally, collaborations and partnerships with governments and transportation authorities can facilitate the deployment of these safety devices on a larger scale. The integration of connected vehicles and environmental impact assessments are also influencing market trends.

What will be the Size of the Road Stud And Delineator Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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The market encompasses a range of products and technologies designed to enhance road safety and traffic management. Key components include maintenance equipment for installing and repairing road studs and delineators, traffic monitoring systems for real-time data collection, and road safety audits to assess infrastructure needs. Rumble strips and traffic calming measures are essential for reducing traffic speeds, while green infrastructure and sustainable transportation solutions promote eco-friendly practices. IoT applications, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are driving innovation in the market, enabling data-driven decision making through accident data analysis and traffic flow simulation. Raised pavement markers, cat's eye reflectors, and retroreflective sheeting ensure optimal visibility during nighttime hours.
Corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance are critical considerations for long-term durability, particularly in harsh weather conditions. Installation tools and adaptive lighting systems streamline the installation process, while traffic congestion management solutions help mitigate the effects of heavy traffic. Intelligent transportation systems integrate multiple technologies to optimize road infrastructure and improve overall traffic flow. Overall, the market continues to evolve, with a focus on advanced technologies and sustainable solutions to address the growing demand for safer and more efficient transportation networks. This market is subject to dynamic market trends and influences, such as the increasing focus on renewable energy sources and the continued reliance on traditional fossil fuels in the energy and chemical sectors.

How is this Road Stud And Delineator Industry segmented?

The road stud and delineator industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Product

  Road stud
  Road delineator


Application

  Roads and streets
  Parking lots
  Airports
  Others


Material

  Plastic
  Metal
  Rubber
  Others


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    Australia
    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Product Insights

The road stud segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The market is driven by the increasing prioritization of road safety and infrastructure development. Road studs, available in plastic, aluminum, and steel, are essential safety devices used to mark road edges and centerlines on highways, airport runways, taxiways, roadways, car parks, railway platforms, and transit areas. Solar road studs and retroreflective road studs are the major types, with the latter gaining popularity due to their ability to enhance nighttime visibility and reduce accidents. Continuous innovations in road stud technology, the increasing number of acc