The United States solar market is scheduled to install around 4.3 gigawatts (GW) this year, which is a 20% increase from 2012, according to a report done by NPD Solarbuzz. The large amount of solar set to be installed in the US is in largely due to state mandates that are requiring solar to meet target levels of total energy production.
The report indicates that in 2014, photovoltaic (PV) installations are set to exceed 5GW, which will consist mainly of utility-scale projects. A large portion of these utility-scale projects will be comprised of PV power plants.
According to statistics in the report, solar demand in the second quarter of 2013 is anticipated to reach as much as 1GW. Over 70% of the forecasted 1GW will be coming from the states of California, Arizona, New Jersey, and North Carolina. The 1GW is estimated to have 14% coming from large commercial rooftops, 18% from residential PV installations, and 68% coming from utility-scale ground-mounted PV installations. The rise in PV installations on residential and commercial properties is in part due to the availability of solar financing options which include Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and Leasing options. These two solar financing options allow energy consumers interested in solar, to put little to zero money down for a solar array.
Statistics predict that during the second half of 2013, utility-scale projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas will push US solar demand above 2.5GWs. The states of Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina, and New York are expected to contribute significantly to solar PV installations in the US.
