Solar in Oregon
•
Total Capacity in Oregon (2021): 726 MW
• Facilities in Oregon (2021): Over 20,000 residential/commercial facilities & solar projects
• Total Generation (2020): 1,077,900 MWh
• Total Exports (2020): 179,671 MWh
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun. Solar technologies harness this energy for
electricity generation, space and water heating, and other uses. Solar energy is a renewable resource
as the energy comes from the sun. Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are the most common technology for generating electricity from solar
energy.
Solar PV cells absorb photons from sunlight and convert their energy into electric current. PV
cells are connected together into panels for installation on rooftops or ground-mounted systems. The
average solar panel has between a 200- and 400-watt capacity. Joining panels together creates solar
arrays, which can be virtually any size, from less than one kilowatt to hundreds of megawatts or more.
In 2020, utility-scale, commercial, and residential
solar generated approximately 1,077,900 MWh or 2.89 percent of all electricity generated in Oregon. From 2012 to 2020, solar generation in Oregon increased from 6,400 megawatt-hours to over 1 million MWh. Oregon has significant solar generation potential, with a 2012 National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) study estimating annual technical potential for solar in Oregon at 1,775 terawatt hours.
Check it out: ODOE's Oregon Solar Dashboard shows how sun-powered electricity has developed over time across the state.