Utilities claim largest share of solar installations

September 13, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

Showing continued growth in the market, the U.S. installed 832 MW of solar capacity in Q2 2013, representing 15 percent growth over the first quarter, making it solar's second best quarter ever, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

U.S. PV Installations, Q1 2010-Q2 2013. Click to enlarge.
Credit: U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2013

The largest share of photovoltaic (PV) installations came from the utility sector, with 38 completed projects totaling 452 MW -- up 42 percent over last quarter. There are currently 3.9 GW of utility-scale projects under construction.

"Distributed generation is the big story in the U.S. solar market this year," said Shayle Kann, vice president of research at GTM. "We expect significant growth, especially in the residential sector, but the future will be dictated by the increasingly-complex nexus between the solar industry and utilities."

The residential market saw a flat quarter in Q2 2013 in terms of growth, and in the non-residential market, only 13 out of the 28 states tracked showed quarterly growth. However, growth will resume in the second half of 2013, with 4.4 GW of PV expected to come online this year -- an annual growth rate of 30 percent, according to the forecast. Overall, 20 of the 28 states are on pace to increase their annual installation of solar energy over 2012.

For more:
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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/utilities-claim-largest-share-solar-installations/2013-09-13