Record solar installations reached in U.S., says SEIA/GTM Research quarterly report

Mar 02, 2011 - Mark Osborne - PV-tech.org

A market that always promised but failed to deliver is over, according to the latest U.S. Solar Market Insight report from GTM Research and the SEIA. PV installations in the third quarter reached 530MW, topping the total amount of installations reported in the whole of 2009 which stood at 435MW. According to the report PV installations are poised to reach 855MW in 2010, an increase of over 100%. The report noted that the growth trend is set to continue in 2011.

“This report for the third quarter shows what many of us already suspected; that 2010 will be a historic year for solar energy in the United States,” noted Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “With the 1603 program on the cusp of being extended, combined with the continuing decline in system costs for consumers, solar is poised to create tens of thousands of jobs and install even more capacity than 2010. It is truly an exciting time for our industry.”

“The third quarter, and this year as a whole, has been a banner year for PV in the U.S.,” commented Shayle Kann, GTM Research’s Managing Director of Solar. “With the combination of ARRA incentives, the Treasury Cash Grant, and a compelling cost environment, PV installations have spiked across all market segments.”

On a regional basis California led the way with over 67MW of new capacity, followed by New Jersey, Florida, Arizona and Colorado.

U.S. PV module production

The report also noted that PV module production for the third quarter of 2010 reached 330MW, a 6% increase over the second quarter.

In the third quarter the majority of modules produced in the country were either crystalline silicon (62%) or cadmium telluride (20%). Approximately 12% of modules are amorphous Si thin-file while CIGS has yet to catapult into high volume production stood at 6% in the quarter.

The report noted that that CIGS and c-Si share of production would continue to expand, given that a number of manufacturers have yet to ramp up to full factory utilization.