SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s a common sight across the state: rows of suburban homes topped with solar panels. But as California works toward its ambitious clean energy vision, an almost counterintuitive challenge has emerged: The state is, at times, generating more solar energy than it can handle. It’s to the point where loads of clean energy are going to waste. The phenomenon, which other states are likely to run into as they ramp up their own solar production, has been dubbed the “duck curve.
The changes, he said, have been devastating for his business. He said he has laid off 10 employees over the last year. “Sales went flat, because nobody wanted it anymore,” Murray said. “It was not productive or cost-effective to do solar, and we were left figuring out what do we do now.” According to the California Solar and Storage Association, residential solar installations have dropped by 66% in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2022.