Over the past several years, interest in alternative energy sources has continued to grow. Solar power has become popular, and while not all locations are as sunny as others, frequently only space on the roof or yard is needed.
In 2010, 667 megawatts (MW) of solar energy were installed in homes, and by 2020 that had increased to 18,061 MW. A megawatt is one million watts, and a kilowatt is 1,000 watts. How many watts any given home uses depends on a number of variables, including the size of the home, location, climate, and other factors, making it difficult to provide an average number of how many houses can be powered by a certain amount of power. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are 219.8 GW of solar currently installed in the U.S with 5,289,576 solar systems installed.
With the growth in solar energy, coverage issues begin to arise. Before we address these issues, we first need to understand how solar energy works and what technology is involved.
Christine G. Barlow, CPCU
Christine G. Barlow, CPCU, is Executive Editor of FC&S Expert Coverage Interpretation, a division of National Underwriter Company and ALM. Christine has over thirty years’ experience in the insurance industry, beginning as a claims adjuster then working as an underwriter and underwriting supervisor handling personal lines. Christine regularly presents and moderates webinars on a variety of topics and is an experienced presenter.