Skip to main content

For the first time, US EV charger capacity will overtake rooftop solar in 2023

EV charger annual installed capacity is going to overtake distributed solar – that is, rooftop solar on individual homes and businesses – for the first time in 2023 in the US.

EV charger annual installed capacity will reach 41 gigawatts (GW) by 2027, more than three times the expected solar annual additions that year, according to Wood Mackenzie’s “2023 US Distributed Energy Resource Outlook” report released today.

Both EV chargers and rooftop solar are distributed energy resources (DER). A DER is a small-scale power generation unit that operates locally and is connected to a larger power grid at the distribution level.

To meet this growth in capacity, the EV charging infrastructure market is forecast to reach $20 billion by 2027. It’s going to be led by residential Level 2 chargers ($6.5 billion) and public DC fast chargers ($5.6 billion).

While most of the charging capacity will always be residential, that share will decrease due to growth in infrastructure for buses and trucks, which will reach 18% of total charging capacity by 2027, according to Wood Mackenzie.

Despite a price decline of 13% over the next five years, rooftop solar is still going to represent 46% of DER capital expenditure through 2027.

Top comment by PlotterDepot

Liked by 18 people

One distributes energy that is created somewhere else

and

the other adds energy.

I don't understand how they compare to each other?

View all comments

The DER market overall is expected to nearly double in capacity from 2022 to 2027, with 262 GW of new DER and demand flexibility capacity to be installed from 2023 to 2027.

Ben Hertz-Shargel, global head of grid edge at Wood Mackenzie and lead author of the report, said:

Federal incentives, headlined by the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program, represent the greatest catalysts for growth in the US DER market.

Continued failure of [grid] system operators to reduce the time and cost of interconnection would be a tailwind, forcing utilities and corporates to look to distributed resources to achieve reliability and clean energy goals.

Read more: As the US heats up, here’s how you can help prevent blackouts


UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad. (

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Michelle Lewis Michelle Lewis

Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.


Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications