Industry Reports Rapid U.S. Solar Capacity Growth in Q3 of 2014

The U.S. installed in excess of 1,300 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics (PV) during the 3rd quarter of 2014, a 41% increase over the same period last year, according to a new report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). That total was the nation's 2nd biggest quarter ever for PV installations, according to SEIA. And while that total was dominated by utility-scale installations, the U.S. residential market also exceeded 300 MW installed in one quarter for the 1st time in history.

Overall, the U.S. now has 16.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity, with another 1.4 GW of concentrating solar power capacity. SEIA also reported that through the 1st 3 quarters of 2014, solar represented 36% of new electrical generation capacity to come online, up from 29% in 2013 and 9.6% in 2012. The report tracks installations across 3 market segments: utility-scale, residential, and non-residential which includes commercial, government, and non-profit installations. See the SEIA news release.

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