US installs 2.6 GW of solar in Q3 with record in residential segment

The US has installed 2.6 GW in direct current (DC) solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity during the third quarter of 2019 for a 45% year-on-year and 25% quarter-on-quarter rise.

According to the latest US Solar Market Insight report from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), July-September 2019 saw record-setting residential solar additions, with 712 MW deployed. Moreover, this was 15 states’ best quarter ever for residential solar, including smaller markets like Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico and Iowa.

Meanwhile, California continues to be the largest residential solar market, having installed almost 300 MW in the three-month period. The report says that power shut-offs renewed demand for solar plus energy storage.

The nation’s total solar capacity now stands at 71.3 GW. The contracted utility PV pipeline climbed to 45.5 GW DC after 21.3 GW DC of new projects were announced in January-September 2019.

Wood Mackenzie guides for 13 GW DC of total solar installations in 2019, representing 23% year-over-year growth. It also forecasts that total installed US solar PV capacity will more than double over the next five years, with annual deployments reaching 20.1 GW DC in 2021.

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