How many people use solar power?

It's difficult to put a number on exactly how many people use solar power. Millions around the world are either creating their own solar power or receiving a portion of their power consumption from the utility as solar energy. It is hard to say how many people use solar power because it's not typically measured by the number of systems installed, but rather the amount of electricity produced.

According to the Energy Information Administration, more than 843,000 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity were used in 2008, with more than three-quarters of that produced in California. The Solar Energy Industries Association notes that grid-tie solar electric systems increased by 58 percent in 2008 to reach a total of 792 megawatts. So, if there is one thing that can be said confidently about how many people use solar power, it's that a lot more of us are using it every year.