New Solar Heating and Cooling Roadmap by SEIA

New Solar Heating and Cooling Roadmap by the Solar Energy Industries Association shows how Americans could save $61 billion annually in energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 226 million tons annually.

SHC Roadmap Highlights

Approximately 44% of energy consumption in the United States is directly attributable to heating and cooling, costing more than $270 billion annually. Solar heating and cooling (SHC) can help provide an economically viable and environmentally sustainable long-term solution to this these essential daily needs. SEIA’s SHC Roadmap sets a target installation of 300 GWth of SHC capacity by 2050. Reaching SHC targets will save Americans money and boost the economy:

• Create 50,250 jobs
• Reduce our annual heating and cooling costs by $61 billion
• Save $19.1 billion by deferring electric and natural gas infrastructure expansion and repair
• Raise $2.1 billion annually in increased federal tax revenue through job creation and economic growth
• Increase America’s annual manufacturing GDP by $1.4 billion
• Make it easier for businesses and families to budget expenses by eliminating price volatility

SHC is an environmentally sustainable solution that will:

• Generate nearly 8% of the total heating and cooling needs in the U.S.
• Avoid the creation of 226 million tons CO2 emissions annually – the equivalent of taking 64 coal plants permanently offline
• Increase resiliency against disasters by localizing energy resources

The right policies for SHC with specific long-term targets and financial incentives will lead to market growth and the deployment of the Roadmap goals. 

• 94% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans, and 89% of Independents rank solar energy favorably
• Sustained and smart investments in SHC will facilitate America’s transition to clean and low-cost solar heating and cooling
• Similar to the SunShot Initiative, the federal government should take a leadership role in reducing SHC soft costs to achieve cost competitiveness with conventional fuels
• Supporting programs such as consumer awareness campaigns, research and development for innovation, demonstration projects, and workforce development will also contribute to deployment goals

The full report can be found at http://www.seia.org/shc-roadmap