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Clean Energy Compound Annual Growth Rates

We've updated the compound annual growth rates (CAGR) tables that were featured in our U.S. Homeowners on Clean Energy: A National Survey report (a collaboration of Clean Edge and SolarCity) to now cover an additional year of data (when available). 

Scroll down to review the full set of updated CAGR tables (hybrid vehicles, EVs, LEDs, utility-scale clean electricity generation, etc.) for the clean-energy sector. All tables are for U.S. deployment/activity. (Feel free to use these tables with full source notes and citations.)

UTILITY SCALE CLEAN ELECTRICITY GENERATION

Electricity generation from renewable power sources (solar, wind, and geothermal) at the utility scale (installations of 1 MW and higher) continued to climb in 2014. These sources experienced a compound annual growth rate of just over 19% during the 12-year period ending in 2014. 

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PV INSTALLATIONS

Distributed solar PV (residential, commercial, and industrial) has seen significant growth over the past several years, with annual grid-connected installations jumping from near zero in 2003 to 4.6 GW in 2013. In 2014, installations reached a new high of 6.2 GW, for an overall 12-year CAGR of 50.58%

LEED CERTIFIED PROJECTS

For the first time in 12 years, LEED certified projects began to decline in 2014. More than 4,200 buildings in the U.S. became LEED-certified in 2014, down from 5,805 in 2013, resulting in 12-year CAGR of 56%. The 12-year CAGR for this sector is now 46.48%.

COMMERICAL AND MULTI-FAMILY ENERGY STAR BUILDINGS

The Energy Star program, which only tracks commercial buildings and multi-family residences and not single-family homes, has seen its building certification remain virtually unchanged in the last year. 2014 saw commercial and industrial Energy Star certifications dip slightly to 6937 from 6960 in 2013. Over the past 12 years, the Energy Star program continues to have a healthy CAGR of 22.80%.

HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) declined slightly in 2014. HEV sales slumped by 40,000 for annual sales of over 450,000.T he CAGR over those 12 years is now 20.62%. 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

All-electric vehicles – a category which includes plug-in hybrid, extended range, and battery EVs – nearly doubled their overall 2012 sales figure in 2013, rising to more than 96,000; sales again surged to over 118,000  (a CAGR of 221.65%) in 2014.

LED BULBS

Installations of A-type (the most common standard size) LED bulbs in the U.S. reached 35 million in 2013, up from just below 20 million in 2012 and near zero in 2009. That represents a compound annual growth rate of 145%. We expect to see triple- and double-digit CAGRs continue in the near- to mid-term as the transition to LEDs ramps up.