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REM: US shipments of solar PV modules reached a record peak in 2021: EIA

US shipments of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules rose to a record electricity-generating capacity of 28.8mn peak kW in 2021, up from 21.8mn peak kW in 2020. This is based on data from the Annual Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report of the Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the US Department of Energy.

Continued demand for US solar capacity drove this increase in solar panel shipments in 2021.

US solar panel shipments include imports, exports and domestically produced and shipped panels. In 2021, about 80% of US solar panel module shipments were imports, primarily from Asia.

According to the EIA, US solar panel shipments closely track domestic solar capacity additions, with differences between the two usually resulting from the time lag between shipment and installation. The data includes both utility-scale facilities and residential rooftop solar.

The US added 13.2 GW of utility-scale solar capacity in 2021, an annual record and 25% more than the 10.6 GW added in 2020, according to EIA’s Annual Electric Generator Report. Additions of utility-scale solar capacity reached a record high, despite project delays, supply chain constraints and volatile pricing. Tax credits available from the federal government were expiring, boosting shipments, although imports were muted and projects delayed by a Department of Commerce probe into imports from Southeast Asia.