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USA Installs 832 MW of Solar PV in Q2 2013 Staff Modern Power Systems, September 13, 2013

GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association have released their latest quarterly report on the US solar market 'U.S. Solar Market Insight: 2nd Quarter 2013', an analysis of solar power markets in the USA with strategic state-specific data for 28 US states and the District of Columbia.

It shows continued growth in the solar market, to the tune of 832 MW installed capacity in Q2 2013, representing a 15 % growth over the first quarter of this year. It was solar's second best quarter ever.

The largest share of photovoltaic (PV) installations came from the utility sector, with 38 completed projects totalling 452 MW, a jump of 42 percent over last quarter. The residential market experienced a slight hiccup in Q2 2013, breaking its streak of incremental quarterly growth with a flat quarter, and in the non-residential (commercial) market, only 13 out of the 28 states tracked in the report showed quarterly growth.

However, the report forecasts a resumption of growth in the second half of 2013, with 4.4 GW of PV expected to come online this year, up from 3.3 GW in 2012, an overall annual growth rate of 30%.

As always, the solar market experienced significant variability across states in Q2 2013. California installations increased 7 % over Q1 2013 despite the end of incentives in some states - an indicator of solar's increasing competitiveness. Overall, 20 of the 28 states tracked in the report are on track to increase their annual installation of solar energy over 2012.

'Distributed generation is the big story in the U.S. solar market this year,' said Shayle Kann, vp Research at GTM. 'We expect significant growth, especially in the residential sector, but the future will be dictated by the increasingly-complex nexus between the solar industry and utilities.'

Looking at the U.S. solar market on the whole, the report forecasts over 5 GW of PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) will be installed by the end of 2013. At that time, cumulative solar PV capacity will exceed 10 GW. 'America's solar energy industry remains on course to have another record-shattering year,' said SEIA president and CEO Rhone Resch. 'Today, there's more than 9370 MW of total solar electric capacity across the USA.'

Key findings:

• PV installations totalled 832 MW in Q2 2013, up 15 % over Q1 2013
• Cumulative operating PV capacity in the U.S. now stands at 8858 MW
• 4372 MW of PV is forecast to be installed in 2013, up from 3366 MW in 2012, a 30 % growth rate
• The utility market completed 38 projects totalling 452 MW; there are currently 4.1 GW of utility-scale projects in construction
• The residential market was flat, quarter-over-quarter, breaking its streak of incremental quarterly growth
• The non-residential market was down in Q2, continuing a relatively light year for the segment
• BrightSource Energy's 392 MW Ivanpah CSP project is on schedule to deliver electricity to the grid in late 2013.