Report Lays Out Plan for Greater Use of Solar in Atlanta

March 20th, 2013

National Renewable Energy Laboratory / U.S. Department of Energy

Atlanta has big solar capacity but fails to take advantage of it, according to a new report by the nonprofit Environment Georgia.

Report author Janette Gayer says Atlanta has similar capacity as Miami and other sun-drenched areas, but for various reasons, development has sputtered.

“Atlanta has done a really good job of going after green building and energy efficiency, spent many years cleaning up our sewers. Now the next thing should be solar.”

The report, “A Bright Future: Building a Solar Atlanta” (pdf), lays out policy recommendations centered on a goal of Atlantans getting 10 percent of their electricity from solar by 2030. The city is currently at less than one percent.

Gayer argues solar is increasingly a good financial decision for homeowners, especially when taking advantage of federal and state tax credits. She also notes the added benefits.

“A lot of local jobs that could never be outsourced and then basically an end to bad air days. We’d be part of the solution to global warming, not part of the problem.”

Recently, Georgia Power announced it would significantly increase its solar capacity over the next three years, but Gayer says Atlantans need to be thinking farther ahead.

The maps in the slide show above are from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy. Here are links to full-size images of the same maps.

Map comparing solar resources for the U.S., Spain, and Germany

Map comparing solar resources for the U.S. China, Spain, and Germany

Map showing solar energy levels throughout the state of Georgia