Solar installations up 85% in first quarter

Installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems increased by 85 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared with 1Q 2011, according to a release from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). A total of 18,000 solar systems generating 506MW were ...
June 13, 2012

Installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems increased by 85 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared with 1Q 2011, according to a release from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). A total of 18,000 solar systems generating 506MW were installed in the quarter. The association raised its forecast for all of 2012 based on the accelerated project timelines in utility-scale installations and now expects to see 3.3GW installed this year. That's 11 percent of the group's global forecast of 29.9GW. New Jersey posted the largest gain among states, with 174MW installed, passing California.

Here's the SEIA's presentation of the executive summary to its U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, in slideshow format.

About the Author

Doug Chandler, Senior Staff Writer

Executive Editor

Doug Chandler began writing about the electrical industry in 1992, and still finds there's never a shortage of stories to be told. So he spends his days finding them and telling them. Educationally, he's a Jayhawk with an English degree. Outside of work, he can often be found banging drums or harvesting tomatoes.