SolarCity, one of the United States’ largest solar developers, has published a report exploring the impact of installing 8 million solar panels across America.
SolarCity released its first corporate sustainability report this week, measuring the impact the company has had on the environment, job creation, economic development, and society. Closing in on its 10-year anniversary, SolarCity has installed more than 8 million solar panels across the United States, servicing more than 250,000 customers. The new report, SolarCity 2015 Impact Report, asks what impact it has had on the planet over that period.
Most importantly is the company’s carbon footprint, which was driven by the manufacturing of solar panel systems. Unsurprisingly, as a renewable energy company, SolarCity is “actively investing in ways to reduce our carbon footprint, both in manufacturing and other areas.” As a result, the company’s carbon footprint decreased from 433 metric tonnes CO 2/MW in 2014, to 409 metric tonnes CO 2/MW in 2015.
SolarCity was quick to point out that for each tonne of carbon dioxide emitted in 2015, the clean energy systems they deployed avoided more than 3 tonnes, therefore “enabling a dramatic net reduction in global carbon emissions.” In 2015, this net amount of avoided CO2 amounted to more than 820,000 metric tonnes-equivalent.
Even taking into account the company’s carbon footprint, the report found that the typical SolarCity system starts delivering net carbon reductions in less than a year.
SolarCity also highlighted the fact that the company has created more than 15,000 clean energy jobs, a number which only continues to grow each year.
The full report and further, more in-depth highlights can be found at SolarCity’s blog.
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