US residential solar adds record amount

OREANDA-NEWS. June 11, 2015. The US residential solar market added a record amount of new capacity in the first quarter, according to an industry report released today.

The residential solar sector added 437MW of capacity in the first three months of this year compared with 232MW in the first quarter last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Greentech Media.

The residential solar sector outpaced all other market sectors in terms of overall growth, expanding by 75pc from the first quarter of 2014, with government policies in New York, Nevada and California driving most of the increase.

Across all market segments, the US added a total of 1,306MW of solar in the first quarter, compared with 1,330MW in the first quarter 2014.

Large utility-scale solar projects accounted for 604MW, or just under half, of the new installations, compared with 873MW, or about two-thirds of installations in the first quarter of 2014.

Overall growth fell in the non-residential market, which includes commercial, industrial, non-profit and government projects, along with community solar. The sector tends to experience slower growth at the start of the year, according to SEIA. The market segment added 218MW in the first quarter, about 24pc less than the fourth quarter of 2014 and 3pc below the first quarter.

Quarter-to-quarter comparisons can be skewed because the fourth quarter tends to have the most growth because developers try to complete projects before a year ends. The industry added 2,108MW in the fourth quarter of 2013 and 2,191MW in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Overall, the solar sector may add 7,900MW in 2015, a 27pc increase over the 6,200MW installed in 2014, SEIA said..