A 2025 update from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) finds that small-scale solar installations accounted for 19% of the 36 GW of total solar capacity added to the national grid last year.
Image: ILSR
The United States added 6.8 GW of distributed solar capacity in 2025, according to the ILSR update. This distributed segment represents approximately one-fifth of all new solar capacity installed during the year.
California led the nation in new volume by adding 2 GW of distributed solar, followed by New York with 1.2 GW and Maine with 1.1 GW. In several states, including North Dakota, North Carolina, Indiana, Vermont, and Arkansas, all recorded solar growth in 2025 came from distributed sources.
Maine surpassed other states to reach the highest distributed solar saturation in the country with 700 W per person. The state’s growth was driven heavily by community solar, which accounted for 53% of Maine’s total existing solar capacity by the end of 2025. Other states showing significant growth in distributed capacity since 2024 include D.C. at 45%, West Virginia at 30%, and Montana at 27%.
The report identifies 25 states and the District of Columbia as leaders in solar saturation, with each having more than 100 W of distributed solar per person. This level of capacity is sufficient to serve one in every 25 households. The average saturation among these leading states increased from 273 W to 329 W per person over the last year. In Tennessee and Idaho, distributed solar made up over 90% of all new solar growth.
New York and Minnesota remain prominent in the community solar market, with community solar representing 42% of the total solar marketplace in both states. D.C. and Massachusetts follow with community solar accounting for 20% of their respective markets. Nationally, solar energy as a whole accounted for over three-quarters of all new electric generating capacity installed in 2025.
In addition to solar capacity, the ILSR report notes that 15 GW of battery storage was added to the U.S. grid in 2025. Approximately 14% of this storage capacity, or 2.1 GW, was installed in a distributed fashion behind the meter. This decentralized storage growth occurred alongside a total solar market dominated by California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
More articles from Ryan Kennedy
Please be mindful of our community standards.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


Δ
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
pv magazine USA offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox.
Δ
Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy © pv magazine 2026
Δ
Welcome to pv magazine USA. This site uses cookies. Read our policy. ×
The cookie settings on this website are set to “allow cookies” to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click “Accept” below then you are consenting to this.
Close

source