Solar PV installations in the U.S. will reach 6.5 GWdc in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size of just three years ago, according to Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA)
Solar accounted for 36 percent of all new electric generating capacity in the U.S. through the first three quarters of 2014, says SEIA’s Solar Market Insight Report 2014 Q3.
With 1,354 MWdc installed, Q3 2014 remained the second largest quarter for solar installation in the history of the market. This represented 41 percent rise over the corresponding period the previous year.
Cumulative installations for the first three quarters of this year stand at 3,966 MWdc, compared to 2,647 MWdc in the first three quarters of 2013.
Cumulative operating PV capacity has crossed 16 GWdc, thanks to four consecutive quarters in which more than 1 GWdc was installed, the agency said.
For the first time ever, more than 300 MWdc of residential PV came on-line in a single quarter and more than 50% residential PV came on-line without any state incentive.
Utility solar PV market is the main contributor with 825 MWdc installed in Q3 2014, up from 540 MWdc in Q3 2013.
A major contributor for Q1 2014, the largest quarter ever for concentrating solar power, was the 392 MWac Ivanpah project and Genesis Solar project’s second phase of 125 MWac.
While no CSP plants came on-line in Q3 2014, Abengoa’s Mojave Solar (250 MWac) achieved commercial operation in December 2014, SEIA said.
Rajani Baburajan
editor@greentechlead.com