Rooftop and other small-scale solar now sits on a small but fast-growing share of U.S. homes, and the price of a residential system has fallen by roughly two-thirds since 2010. This briefing aggregates verified data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on how widely rooftop solar is adopted, what it costs, and where it is growing. Figures are labeled by data year and geography, and all dollar figures are stated in the source’s own dollar basis.
Executive Summary
- 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes (including mobile homes) generated electricity from small-scale solar in 2020, the most recent year of household-level federal survey data (Source: U.S. EIA, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey).
- The residential sector accounts for 67% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity, ahead of the commercial sector at 27% and industrial at 6% (Source: U.S. EIA, Short-Term Energy Outlook, 2023).
- U.S. small-scale solar capacity reached roughly 44 GW by mid-2023, up from 7.3 GW in 2014, and EIA forecast about 55 GW by the end of 2024 (Source: U.S. EIA, 2022-2023).
- The median price of a host-owned residential PV system fell by about $0.1/W in 2023 in inflation-adjusted terms, the same pace as over the prior decade (Source: LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- NREL’s benchmark cost of a residential PV system fell 65% between 2010 and 2024, from $9.23/Wdc to $3.25/Wdc in 2024 dollars (Source: NREL, 2025).
- The median new residential system grew to 7.4 kW in 2023, up from 2.4 kW in 2000 (Source: LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- Adoption is concentrated: California holds about 36% of national small-scale solar capacity, while Hawaii leads per capita at 541 watts per person (Source: U.S. EIA, 2022).
- Adoption rises with income: 5.7% of households earning over $150,000 had small-scale solar in 2020, versus 1.1% of households earning under $20,000 (Source: U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS).
Key Findings
- In 2020, 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes generated electricity from small-scale solar, the latest federal household-survey figure (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS).
- The West Census Region led home solar adoption at 8.9% of single-family homes in 2020, followed by the Northeast at 4.7% (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS).
- Owner-occupied homes were more likely to have solar than rented homes in 2020 (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS).
- The residential sector made up 67% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity, with commercial at 27% and industrial at 6% (U.S. EIA, STEO, 2023).
- U.S. small-scale solar capacity rose from 7.3 GW in 2014 to about 39.5 GW at the end of 2022 (U.S. EIA, 2022).
- A record 6.4 GW of small-scale solar capacity was added in 2022, the most in any single year to that point (U.S. EIA, 2022).
- Small-scale solar represented about one-third of all U.S. solar capacity as of 2022, with utility-scale making up the rest (U.S. EIA, 2022).
- The median new residential PV system reached 7.4 kW in 2023, up from 2.4 kW in 2000 (LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- Median residential module efficiency rose from 12.7% in 2002 to 20.8% in 2023 (LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- State-level median installed residential prices ranged from $3.2/W to $5.2/W in 2023 (LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- NREL’s residential PV benchmark cost fell 65% from 2010 to 2024, from $9.23/Wdc to $3.25/Wdc in 2024 dollars (NREL, 2025).
- NREL’s residential PV levelized cost of electricity fell 76% from 2010 to 2024 in 2024 dollars (NREL, 2025).
- Soft costs, such as customer acquisition, sales, permitting, and labor, made up the majority of residential system cost, peaking at 68% of total cost in 2017 (NREL, 2025).
- Battery storage was paired with 12% of new residential PV installations in 2022, and Hawaii’s residential attachment rate reached 95% in 2023 (LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024).
- Residential solar installations fell 31% year over year in 2024 to 4.7 GWdc, per industry trackers, after high interest rates and a California policy shift (SEIA/Wood Mackenzie, 2024; Tier 2).
Home Solar Adoption: How Many Households
The most direct measure of household solar adoption comes from EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), a nationally representative survey. In 2020, the most recent completed RECS, 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes (including mobile homes) generated electricity from small-scale solar systems. The 2020 RECS collected data from 18,496 households, the largest sample in the program’s history.
| Adoption measure (2020) | Share of single-family homes with small-scale solar |
|---|---|
| United States | 3.7% |
| West Census Region | 8.9% |
| Northeast Census Region | 4.7% |
| Households earning over $150,000 | 5.7% |
| Households earning under $20,000 | 1.1% |
Source: U.S. EIA, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), eia.gov. The West region’s high share is driven mostly by California. The income gradient is large: higher-income households adopted at more than five times the rate of the lowest-income group in 2020. These figures count single-family homes only and exclude multifamily buildings, so they are not a measure of all U.S. housing units. The 2020 survey predates several years of rapid capacity growth, so current household penetration is likely higher.
Installed Capacity and Where Solar Is Growing
EIA tracks small-scale solar (systems under 1 MW, which are predominantly rooftop) separately from utility-scale solar. Small-scale capacity has grown roughly sixfold in under a decade.
| Year | U.S. small-scale solar capacity | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7.3 GW | U.S. EIA, 2022 |
| End of 2022 | 39.5 GW | U.S. EIA, 2022 |
| Mid-2023 | ~44 GW | U.S. EIA, STEO, 2023 |
| End of 2024 (forecast) | ~55 GW | U.S. EIA, STEO, 2023 |
Source: U.S. EIA, Today in Energy and Short-Term Energy Outlook. A record 6.4 GW of small-scale capacity was added in 2022. The end-of-2024 figure is an EIA forecast, not an observed value, and should be read as a projection. Small-scale solar made up about one-third of all U.S. solar capacity as of 2022; the larger share is utility-scale.
Geographic Concentration
Adoption is highly concentrated. California alone held about 36% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity as of 2022, with New York and New Jersey next. Measured per capita, the ranking changes: Hawaii leads with 541 watts of small-scale solar per person, reflecting its high electricity prices and strong solar resource.
| Metric (2022) | Leader | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Largest total small-scale solar capacity | California | ~36% of U.S. total |
| Second-largest total capacity | New York | (rank 2) |
| Third-largest total capacity | New Jersey | (rank 3) |
| Highest capacity per capita | Hawaii | 541 watts per person |
Source: U.S. EIA, Today in Energy, 2022. Net-metering and successor tariff policies vary widely by state and affect the economics that drive these rankings. Readers can find a policy explainer at net metering explained.
Residential System Pricing Trends
Two federal data series track residential solar pricing with different methods. LBNL’s Tracking the Sun reports actual prices paid by system owners before incentives. NREL publishes a bottom-up modeled benchmark for a representative system. Both show steep long-run declines.
| Metric | 2010 | 2023-2024 | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NREL residential benchmark cost | $9.23/Wdc | $3.25/Wdc (2024) | -65% | NREL, 2025 (2024 USD) |
| NREL residential PV LCOE | (baseline) | 2024 | -76% | NREL, 2025 (2024 USD) |
| LBNL median residential price, state range | n/a | $3.2-$5.2/W (2023) | n/a | LBNL, 2024 (real $) |
| LBNL year-over-year change | n/a | -$0.1/W (2022 to 2023) | same pace as prior decade | LBNL, 2024 |
Sources: NREL, Documenting 15 Years of Reductions in U.S. Solar PV System Costs, 2025; LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024. The two series are not directly comparable. LBNL prices are self-reported actuals that, for loan-financed systems, can include dealer fees adding 5-50% to the up-front price; NREL is a modeled benchmark for a roughly 8 kWdc system. NREL notes that system costs fell sharply from 2010 to 2021 but were relatively flat from 2021 to 2024, with some years rising, partly from supply-chain and labor disruptions. Module prices alone dropped about 90% from 2010 to 2024 (NREL, 2025). For an installation-cost guide, see solar installation cost.
Soft Costs Now Dominate
The composition of residential system cost has shifted. Hardware (modules and inverters) fell fastest, so soft costs, customer acquisition, sales, permitting, inspection, interconnection, and labor, now make up a large share of the total. NREL found residential PV had the highest soft-cost share of any sector, peaking at 68% of total installed cost in 2017 (NREL, 2025). LBNL similarly attributes much of the residential price to business-process and soft costs.
System Size and Technology Adoption
Residential systems have grown larger and more efficient over two decades, tracking module-efficiency gains.
| Metric | Earlier year | 2023 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median new residential system size | 2.4 kW (2000) | 7.4 kW | LBNL, 2024 |
| Median residential module efficiency | 12.7% (2002) | 20.8% | LBNL, 2024 |
| Module-level power electronics share (residential) | n/a | 93% | LBNL, 2024 |
| Battery storage attached to new residential PV | n/a | 12% (2022) | LBNL, 2024 |
Source: LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024 Edition. LBNL notes its size statistics are heavily weighted toward California, where residential systems are relatively small, so national medians understate sizes in other states. Storage pairing varies sharply by state: Hawaii’s residential attachment rate hit 95% in 2023, while California’s was 14%, and most other states were 4-10%. In California, roughly 60% of residential installs under the new net-billing tariff were paired with storage (LBNL, 2024).
Recent Market Movement
Industry trackers (Tier 2) capture installation volumes more quickly than federal series. According to SEIA and Wood Mackenzie’s US Solar Market Insight (2024 Year in Review), residential solar installations fell 31% year over year in 2024 to 4.7 GWdc, attributed to a contraction in California and sustained high interest rates. The same source projects the residential segment more than tripling over the following decade in its base case. These are model-based projections from a commercial research firm, not government data, and are labeled accordingly.
Original Synthesis
The following insights are derived only from the verified public datasets cited above. Each states its logic, inputs, and limitations.
1. Residential PV Cost Has Fallen About Two-Thirds in Real Terms Since 2010
Logic: Using NREL’s benchmark series, the residential PV system cost fell from $9.23/Wdc in 2010 to $3.25/Wdc in 2024, both in 2024 dollars. That is a 65% cumulative decline ((9.23 – 3.25) / 9.23 = 64.8%). Expressed differently, a 2010 system cost about 2.8 times what a 2024 system costs per watt. Inputs: NREL, Documenting 15 Years of Reductions in U.S. Solar PV System Costs, 2025. Limitations: This is a modeled benchmark for a representative roughly 8 kWdc system, not an observed market average; NREL cautions that costs were largely flat from 2021 to 2024 and that benchmark methods have changed over time. LBNL’s self-reported actual prices are higher in level but show a similar long-run direction.
2. Per-Capita Adoption Diverges Sharply From Total Capacity
Logic: Ranking states by total small-scale solar capacity puts California first (about 36% of the U.S. total). Ranking by capacity per person reorders the leaders: Hawaii tops the per-capita measure at 541 watts per person, far above the national average. This shows that the largest market by volume is not the most saturated market. Inputs: U.S. EIA, Today in Energy, 2022 (state capacity shares and Hawaii per-capita figure). Limitations: EIA publishes the Hawaii per-capita figure directly; a full per-capita ranking for all states would require combining EIA state capacity with Census population, which EIA has not published as a single table, so only the EIA-reported leaders are stated here rather than a recomputed full ranking.
3. The Median Residential System More Than Tripled in Size While Efficiency Rose Two-Thirds
Logic: LBNL’s median new residential system grew from 2.4 kW in 2000 to 7.4 kW in 2023, a 3.1x increase, while median residential module efficiency rose from 12.7% in 2002 to 20.8% in 2023, a relative rise of about 64% ((20.8 – 12.7) / 12.7). LBNL states that efficiency gains since 2010 closely track the rise in system size, indicating efficiency improvement is a primary driver of larger systems. Inputs: LBNL, Tracking the Sun, 2024 Edition. Limitations: Median sizes are weighted toward California, where systems are smaller, so the national figure understates sizes in many states; the size and efficiency series use slightly different start years (2000 vs 2002).
Charts We Recommend
- Residential PV cost decline, 2010-2024. Data: NREL benchmark $/Wdc by year. Source: NREL, 2025. Insight: the 65% cumulative drop and the 2021-2024 plateau. Citation-worthy because it pairs a clean long-run trend with a recent inflection.
- Small-scale solar capacity growth, 2014-2024. Data: EIA capacity in GW by year, with 2024 marked as forecast. Source: EIA. Insight: roughly sixfold growth in under a decade.
- Home adoption by region and income, 2020. Data: RECS shares (West 8.9%, Northeast 4.7%, by income band). Source: EIA RECS. Insight: adoption is uneven across geography and income.
- Total capacity vs per-capita leaders. Data: California share vs Hawaii watts per capita. Source: EIA, 2022. Insight: volume leader is not the saturation leader.
- Median residential system size vs module efficiency, 2000-2023. Data: LBNL kW and efficiency series. Source: LBNL. Insight: systems grew as panels got more efficient.
Methodology
Sources were selected by tier, prioritizing primary federal datasets (EIA, LBNL, NREL) over commercial research. Each statistic was confirmed against the source document or page actually retrieved during research, not from memory. Where a figure appeared only in a secondary summary, it was traced to the primary publisher before inclusion. Conflicting price figures between LBNL (self-reported actuals) and NREL (modeled benchmark) are reported side by side with their methods, not blended, because they measure different things. Derived insights use only arithmetic on the cited public figures, with the formula shown. The end-of-2024 capacity figure is an EIA forecast and is labeled as a projection. The household adoption share is from the 2020 RECS, the latest completed cycle, and predates recent capacity growth, so it likely understates current penetration. Industry installation volumes are labeled Tier 2 (SEIA/Wood Mackenzie). Data limitations are listed in their own section. Last updated: June 29, 2026.
Source Quality and Tiering
Tier 1 (primary government and national-lab):
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Residential Energy Consumption Survey (2020); Today in Energy small-scale solar (2022); Short-Term Energy Outlook small-scale solar (2023).
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Tracking the Sun, 2024 Edition (pricing and design trends).
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Documenting 15 Years of Reductions in U.S. Solar PV System Costs (2025).
Tier 2 (credible market research and trade body):
- SEIA and Wood Mackenzie: US Solar Market Insight, 2024 Year in Review (installation volumes and forecasts).
Tier 3 (reputable journalism or expert commentary): None used as a sole source for any figure in this briefing.
Most Quotable Statistics
- “In 2020, 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes generated electricity from small-scale solar.” (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS)
- “Residential PV system costs fell 65% between 2010 and 2024, from $9.23 to $3.25 per watt in 2024 dollars.” (NREL, 2025)
- “The median new residential solar system reached 7.4 kW in 2023, up from 2.4 kW in 2000.” (LBNL, 2024)
- “The residential sector accounts for 67% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity.” (U.S. EIA, 2023)
- “California holds about 36% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity; Hawaii leads per capita at 541 watts per person.” (U.S. EIA, 2022)
- “Households earning over $150,000 adopted home solar at 5.7% in 2020, versus 1.1% for those under $20,000.” (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS)
- “U.S. small-scale solar capacity grew from 7.3 GW in 2014 to about 39.5 GW by the end of 2022.” (U.S. EIA, 2022)
Data Limitations
- The household adoption rate (3.7%) is from the 2020 RECS, the latest completed survey, and predates several years of capacity growth, so current penetration is likely higher.
- RECS adoption shares cover single-family homes only, not all housing units, and exclude multifamily buildings.
- EIA’s end-of-2024 capacity figure (~55 GW) is a forecast, not an observed value.
- LBNL median prices are self-reported actuals that may include dealer fees of 5-50% for loan-financed systems; NREL figures are modeled benchmarks. The two are not directly comparable.
- LBNL size and price medians are heavily weighted toward California and understate values in many other states.
- A full per-capita state ranking is not published by EIA as a single table; only EIA-reported leaders are stated, not a recomputed all-state ranking.
- Installation-volume figures (4.7 GWdc residential in 2024) are Tier 2 commercial estimates and use a GWdc basis that differs from EIA’s capacity accounting.
Recommended Downloadable Dataset Fields
- year
- geography (US, census region, or state)
- metric_name (e.g., home_adoption_share, small_scale_capacity_gw, median_system_kw, benchmark_cost_per_w)
- value
- unit
- sector (residential, commercial, industrial, all)
- data_basis (observed or forecast)
- dollar_year (for price fields)
- source_name
- source_tier
- source_url
Press Summary
Rooftop solar is a small but rapidly expanding part of the U.S. housing stock. As of the 2020 federal Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes generated electricity from small-scale solar, with adoption highest in the West (8.9%) and among higher-income households (5.7% of those earning over $150,000). The residential sector makes up 67% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity, which EIA tracked at about 44 GW in mid-2023, up from 7.3 GW in 2014, with roughly 55 GW forecast by the end of 2024. Pricing has fallen steeply: NREL’s residential benchmark cost dropped 65% from 2010 to 2024, from $9.23 to $3.25 per watt in 2024 dollars, though costs were largely flat from 2021 to 2024. Systems have grown to a median 7.4 kW in 2023. Adoption is concentrated in California, which holds about 36% of national capacity, while Hawaii leads per capita at 541 watts per person. All figures are attributed to EIA, LBNL, and NREL.
Five Headlines Journalists Can Use
- 3.7% of U.S. Single-Family Homes Had Solar in the Last Federal Survey
- Residential Solar Cost Fell 65% Since 2010, NREL Data Show
- California Holds a Third of U.S. Home Solar, But Hawaii Leads Per Capita
- The Typical New Home Solar System Has Tripled in Size Since 2000
- Higher-Income Households Adopt Home Solar at Five Times the Rate of the Lowest Earners
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of U.S. homes have solar panels?
In 2020, 3.7% of U.S. single-family homes (including mobile homes) generated electricity from small-scale solar, per EIA’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. Current penetration is likely higher given capacity growth since then.
Which sector accounts for most rooftop solar?
The residential sector makes up 67% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity, ahead of commercial (27%) and industrial (6%) (U.S. EIA, 2023).
How much small-scale solar capacity does the U.S. have?
EIA tracked about 44 GW in mid-2023, up from 7.3 GW in 2014, and forecast roughly 55 GW by the end of 2024 (U.S. EIA, 2022-2023).
How much has residential solar cost fallen?
NREL’s residential PV benchmark cost fell 65% from 2010 to 2024, from $9.23/Wdc to $3.25/Wdc in 2024 dollars (NREL, 2025).
What does a typical residential system cost today?
LBNL reported state-level median installed residential prices of $3.2 to $5.2 per watt in 2023, before incentives, with prices for loan-financed systems sometimes including dealer fees (LBNL, 2024).
How big is a typical new home solar system?
The median new residential system was 7.4 kW in 2023, up from 2.4 kW in 2000 (LBNL, 2024).
Which state has the most home solar?
California holds about 36% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity, the largest share, followed by New York and New Jersey (U.S. EIA, 2022).
Which state has the highest solar adoption per person?
Hawaii leads per capita at 541 watts of small-scale solar per person (U.S. EIA, 2022).
Does income affect home solar adoption?
Yes. In 2020, 5.7% of households earning over $150,000 had small-scale solar, versus 1.1% of households earning under $20,000 (U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS).
Is home solar increasingly paired with batteries?
Yes. Battery storage was attached to 12% of new residential PV installations in 2022, and Hawaii’s residential attachment rate reached 95% in 2023 (LBNL, 2024).
Cite This Research
The Roofing Brief, “Solar Roofing Adoption Statistics”, 2026, https://theroofingbrief.com/solar-roofing-adoption-statistics/
Embed or use this with credit: “Source: The Roofing Brief analysis of U.S. EIA, LBNL, and NREL data, 2026, https://theroofingbrief.com/solar-roofing-adoption-statistics/”.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Homes and buildings in the West and Northeast have the largest share of small-scale solar,” 2020 RECS, 2022, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54379
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Record U.S. small-scale solar capacity was added in 2022,” Today in Energy, 2022, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=60341
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Small-scale solar outlook,” Short-Term Energy Outlook, 2023, https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/BTL/2023/09-smallscalesolar/article.php
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Barbose, Darghouth, O’Shaughnessy, Forrester), “Tracking the Sun, 2024 Edition,” 2024, https://emp.lbl.gov/tracking-the-sun (Executive Summary: PDF)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “Documenting 15 Years of Reductions in U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System Costs,” 2025, https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/2522804
- SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, “US Solar Market Insight, 2024 Year in Review,” 2024, https://seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2024-year-in-review/ (Tier 2)