Wednesday 12 December 2012

Record solar projects in the US

The number of rooftop solar power projects in the US reached a record high in the third quarter of this year, with 684MW of capacity.

A new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) suggests there was a 44% increase in the total installed capacity, rising to 1,992MW so far this year, compared to last year’s annual total of 1,885MW.

Rhone Resch, President and CEO of SEIA said: “This quarter’s record residential growth shows the power of innovation in the US solar industry. With costs continuing to come down and new financing options, solar energy is affordable today for more families, businesses, utilities and the military. Thanks to smart long-term policy, the solar industry is growing to meet the challenge of putting Americans back to work and helping to grow both our nation’s economy and our clean energy portfolio.”

The US currently has 6.4GW of solar capacity installed, which includes more than 271,000 installations – enough to power more than one million American homes. SEIA forecasts around 1,300MW of solar capacity will be installed in the fourth quarter of 2012 alone, bringing the total to 3,200MW this year.