. Solar Energy News .




.
SOLAR DAILY
US Solar Outpaces Global Market
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Sep 26, 2011

File image.

The U.S. solar energy industry continued its rapid growth through the second quarter of this year, gaining a greater share of the total global market according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)'s latest quarterly U.S. Solar Market Insight report.

Leading the way was the U.S. solar photovoltaics (PV) market, which installed 314 megawatts in the second quarter, 69 percent more than the same period last year and 17 percent more than the first quarter of 2011. The U.S. remains poised to install 1,750 megawatts of PV in 2011, double last year's total and enough to power 350,000 homes.

"The second quarter data illustrates that the U.S. solar industry continues to be one of the fastest growing in America," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA.

"More than 100,000 Americans are employed in solar, twice as many as in 2009. They work at more than 5,000 companies - the vast majority being small businesses - across all 50 states."

The utility and commercial market segments grew 37 percent and 22 percent respectively in the second quarter. The residential PV segment, however, stuttered for the second consecutive quarter, installing 60 megawatts, a 5.7 percent drop over last quarter. The U.S. Solar Market Insight report predicts greater traction for the residential market, however, in the second half of 2011 and into 2012, as residential solar-leasing business models expand nationwide.

In the concentrating solar market, including both concentrating solar power (CSP) and concentrating PV technologies, over 600 megawatts are now under construction in the U.S. The U.S. concentrating solar pipeline now holds more than 7,000 megawatts (enough to power 1.4 million homes), of which more than 4,000 megawatts of projects have signed power purchase agreements with utilities.

While U.S. solar is on track for a banner year overall, the market does face a number of potential challenges in 2012 and beyond that could stunt the type of growth seen over the past year and a half.

"The potential expiration of the 1603 Treasury program, along with current malaise in major markets such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, threatens to slow growth in 2012," said Shayle Kann, Managing Director of Solar at GTM Research.

"Still, with increasing market diversity and the continued emergence of the utility-scale solar market, we anticipate that the U.S. market share of global installations will triple over the next four years."

The overall solar story remains very positive. "The dynamic second quarter growth is a result of increased competition in the solar market, competition that drove down the price of solar panels by 30 percent since the beginning of 2010," added Resch. "This is good news for residential and business customers as solar becomes more affordable every day."

The U.S. Solar Market Insight: 2nd Quarter 2011 report is part of an annual subscription that provides the most relevant, solar-specific analysis to solar PV and concentrating solar (CSP and CPV) professionals each quarter. U.S. solar heating and cooling data is collected and reported annually in the Q4 report.

Related Links
Solar Energy Industries Association
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com




 

.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries






. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



SOLAR DAILY
Customers Can Be Confident in Choosing OPEL Solar Trackers
Shelton CT (SPX) Sep 26, 2011
OPEL Solar and OPEL Technologies has announced that it has secured a warranty agreement with Energi Insurance Services and has completed an independent tracker technology assessment conducted by BEW Engineering, together with a complete professional engineering validated structural analysis and wind tunnel testing with both Lauren Engineers and Constructors, Inc. and Rowan Williams Davies and Ir ... read more


SOLAR DAILY
Researchers sequence dark matter of life

USDA Scientists Use Commercial Enzyme to Improve Grain Ethanol Production

Research offers means to detoxify mycotoxin-contaminated grain intended for ethanol, animal feed

A midway strategy for improving sugarcane ethanol production

SOLAR DAILY
Robots are coming to aircraft assembly

Robotic Loader System Achieves Composite Material Testing Milestone

Robonaut Wakes Up In Space

Sandia Labs' Gemini-Scout robot likely to reach trapped miners ahead of rescuers

SOLAR DAILY
Japan plans floating wind farm near nuclear plant

First market report on High Altitude Wind Energy

Researchers build a tougher, lighter wind turbine blade

Wind Power Now Less Expensive Than Natural Gas In Brazil

SOLAR DAILY
BYD says 'reshuffle' not mass layoffs in China

Isuzu eyes truck plan with China partner: report

It's a hard day's night for Shanghai taxi drivers

Typhoon halts production at 11 Japan Toyota plants

SOLAR DAILY
Ahmadinejad calls for western navies to leave Gulf

India shrugs off China warnings on oil exploration

New metal hydride clusters provide insights into hydrogen storage

Nigeria army gives oil rebels one week to seek amnesty

SOLAR DAILY
Journey to the lower mantle and back

Diamonds show depth extent of Earth's carbon cycle

Carbon cycle reaches Earth's lower mantle

Miner Xstrata faces climate test case in Australiaq

SOLAR DAILY
IMF, World Bank eye carbon tax on airline, ship fuels

U.S. Defense aims for clean energy

CO2 storage law falls through in Germany

S.Korea minister blames blackout on weather, reports

SOLAR DAILY
Fear not, US tells guitarists worried by illegal wood

Water evaporated from trees cools global climate

Ugandan sweet tooth threatens precious rain forest

US national forests can provide public health benefits


Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News
.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2011 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement