US solar market nearly doubles annual record
The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) recently announced that the U.S. solar market grew by 95% in 2016, and nearly doubled last year’s record-breaking 7,493 megawatts (MW) of solar installations.
In 2016, 14,626 MW of solar power was installed in the United States, which marks the industry’s biggest year to date.
SEIA and Greentech Media (GTM) Research plan to release further data on March 9 in their U.S. Solar Market Insight Report.
Last year was the first time solar was the largest source of generating capacity additions at 39 percent of all new capacity.
“What these numbers tell you is that the solar industry is a force to be reckoned with,” Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO, said. “Solar’s economically-winning hand is generating strong growth across all market segments nationwide, leading to more than 260,000 Americans now employed in solar.”
Utility-scale solar represented the most MW installed during the year of any segment of the solar industry, as well as highest growth rate at 145 percent.
“In a banner year for U.S. solar, a record 22 states each added more than 100 megawatts,” Cory Honeyman, GTM Research’s associate director of U.S. solar research, said. “While U.S. solar grew across all segments, what stands out is the double digit gigawatt boom in utility-scale solar, primarily due to solar’s cost competitiveness with natural gas alternatives.”
The United States now has over 1.3 million solar photovoltaic installations with a combined capacity of more than 40 gigawatts.
