Who added the most solar in 2013?

January 12, 2014 | By

New solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the United States reached a record 4.2 GW in 2013. In fact, since 2012, the U.S. market has grown 15 percent, making it the leading solar market outside the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, according to the NPD Solarbuzz.

Top 10 U.S. States for Solar PV Capacity Added in 2013. Credit: NPD Solarbuzz. Click image to enlarge.

Solar PV installed in the U.S. also reached a new record high of approximately 1.4 GW during the fourth quarter of 2013 -- equivalent to more than 1 MW of solar panels being installed during each hour of daylight over the past three months, the research reveals.

"Each year, the final quarter in the U.S. results in a new quarterly record for solar PV installed," said Michael Barker, senior analyst at NPD Solarbuzz. "The solar PV industry in the U.S. is, on average, now installing more than one gigawatt of solar PV each quarter."

Large-scale projects dominated the U.S. market during 2013, accounting for more than 80 percent of new solar capacity deployed. The ground-mount segment, which includes most of the utility solar PV installed, reached almost 3 GW in 2013 with over 1 GW in Q4 2013 alone. The large rooftop market exceeded 500 MW, similar to levels over the past few years, according to Solarbuzz.

The small-scale solar segment, made up of residential and small non-residential rooftops, accounted for approximately 700 MW in 2013 -- an increase of 10 percent, compared to 2012 -- when more than three quarters of small-scale demand came from the residential segment.

Not surprising, California again led the nation for installed solar PV in 2013. However, according to Solarbuzz, North Carolina made its way into second place, due to strong utility-scale activity, overtaking both Arizona and New Jersey. New Mexico and New York were new entrants to the ratings, displacing Maryland and Colorado.

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