New solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the US reached a record 4.2GW during 2013. Since 2012, the US market has grown 15%, making it the leading solar market outside the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, according to Solarbuzz.
Solar PV installed in the US during the fourth quarter of 2013 also reached a record high of approximately 1.4GW, equivalent to over 1MW of solar panels being installed during each hour of daylight over the past three months.
"Each year, the final quarter in the US results in a new quarterly record for solar PV installed," said Michael Barker, senior analyst at Solarbuzz. "The solar PV industry in the US is, on average, now installing more than one gigawatt of solar PV each quarter."
Large-scale projects dominated the US market during 2013, accounting for more than 80% of new solar capacity deployed. The ground-mount segment, which includes most of the utility solar PV installed, reached almost 3GW in 2013 with over 1GW in fourth-quarter 2013 alone. The large rooftop market exceeded 500MW, which is similar to levels seen over the past few years, the firm said.
The small-scale solar segment, comprised of residential and small non-residential rooftops, accounted for approximately 700MW in 2013, an increase of 10% compared to 2012. More than three quarters of small-scale demand came from the residential segment.
California was again the leading state in the US for installed solar PV in 2013; however, North Carolina was propelled into second place, due to strong utility-scale activity, overtaking both Arizona and New Jersey in the rankings. New Mexico and New York were new entrants, displacing Maryland and Colorado from the list.
