US Solar Market Grows 76% in 2012 - Adds record 3.3 gigawatts of capacity

[kristopher]

US Solar Market Grows 76% in 2012
Adds record 3.3 gigawatts of capacity
MARCH 14, 2013

The Solar Market Insight annual edition shows the U.S. installed 3,313 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2012, a record for the industry.

Even with the cost of solar falling for consumers, the market size of the U.S. solar industry grew from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $11.5 billion in 2012. As of the end of 2012, there were 7,221 MW of PV and 546 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) on-line in the U.S. -- enough to power 1.2 million homes.

At the state level, 2012 was another year for breaking records. California became the first state to install over 1,000 MW in one year, with growth across all market segments. Arizona came in as the second-largest market, led by large-scale utility installations, while New Jersey experienced growth in the state’s non-residential market. The top 10 largest state solar markets in 2012 were:

1. California, 1,033 MW
2. Arizona, 710 MW
3. New Jersey, 415 MW
4. Nevada, 198 MW
5. North Carolina, 132 MW
6. Massachusetts, 129 MW
7. Hawaii, 109 MW
8. Maryland, 74 MW
9. Texas, 64 MW
10. New York, 60 MW

In addition to record annual installations, the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2012 shattered all-time quarterly records as well, with 1,300 MW of installed PV, besting the previous high by 64 percent. The residential and utility segments both had their best quarters ever, installing 144 MW and 874 MW, respectively.

“2012 was a ...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/u.s.-solar-market-grows-76-in-2012?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily

[AAO]

1. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

[FBaggins]

2. I thought solar power had gotten so much cheaper?

$11.5 Billion for 3.3 GW of capacity?

Wouldn't you consider $16 Billion for a single reactor to be pretty pricy?

In fact, by this report 2011 and 2012 combined saw roughly one Vogtle-sized reactor worth of solar PV... at just over $20 Billion.

[Rain Mcloud]

7. Yes and Nukes are not profitable,they have to be subsidized.

The only trouble is that the energy lobbyists(API c/o Dave McCurdy)have convinced the mouth breathers in congress that the Sun goes away each day but that nobody knows where it goes.
My guess,the Sun goes to Applebees for the Surf N' Turf special with an Bloomin' Onion appeteaser and a glass of MGD and all at a reasonable price that is guaranteed to bring a smile.

[FBaggins]

9. Subsidy doesn't mean unprofitable.

It just means less profitable than some alternative (coal/gas). Thus subsidy becomes necessary to attract investment.

That's the case for all of the cleaner technologies. They cost more than coal/gas, so they wouldn't get much funding... unless we find ways to make it comparably attractive. This can be through increasing the cost of the dirtier technologies (as with a carbon tax), or through artificially decreasing the cost of the cleaner ones.

The only trouble is that the energy lobbyists(API c/o Dave McCurdy)have convinced the mouth breathers in congress that the Sun goes away each day but that nobody knows where it goes.

???

I didn't even address the relative lower value of a kwh that can't be controlled vs. one that's more consistent. I just ballparked the amount of electricity that you could expect over the course of a year from the solar PV installs in 2011 and 2012 combines (roughly the same amount as one new reactor would put out per year). You can play games with the numbers and pick a slightly higher CF for solar (with a high percentage of the installs occurring in CA/AZ/etc)... or a slightly lower one for the reactor... but you can't play with the numbers enough to make $20 Billion look cheaper than that reactor.

[JDPriestly]

11. Fukushima!

We don't want any more reactors in California. We want solar because that is what is safe. We are pretty much one big earthquake zone. Any day now . . . .

[Plucketeer]

13. I'm with you here

NO MORE reactors on our shores! I was thinking that even BEFORE Fukushima.

[awoke_in_2003]

3. Good, but Texas only has 64 MW?...

We should be close to the top in solar and wind, but for ignorant politicians. Yes, we are top ten, but even NC almost doubles our capacity.

[kristopher]

5. Solar is starting to ramp up

Germany is installing solar for half of what we are (about $2,200kw vs $4,400kw) and they are paying the same for the hardware. The bulk of the costs here are no longer for the modules themselves but instead are related to the costs of permits and satisfying all the hurdles the utilities have set up to connect to the grid. The federal regulator responsible for the grid is now working on a set of nationwide rules to standardize the process and hopefully produce further significant reductions in installed costs.

There is also a movement underway to force utilities to use a pricing model that fully accounts for the benefits to the grid that solar provides. The owners of solar are presently grossly under compensated for the contributions they make to the grid.

Put these two together (hopefully) and we are looking as really meaningful reductions in the time it takes the system to pay for itself and start generating "free" electricity.

And don't forget EVs!

As their technology mature their battery packs will be replaced (maybe around 10 years) when they still have a lot of storage capacity left. They will drop below a desirable power:weight ratio for mobile use, but they will be GREAT for storing rooftop solar.

[xtraxritical]

8. EVs?

[FBaggins]

10. Electric Vehicles

One of Kris' more useful contributions to E/E has been his reading in the are of V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) storage as part of a smarter grid.

I'm not sure that this is a good example (EV battery designers will have to do a better job of taking future use into account), but it's a are where Kris knows more than most.

[NewJeffCT]

6. I think that was for just 2012

I know states like CT offer some pretty hefty tax incentives for people installing solar. I'm sure some states high on the list offer some incentives as well.

[NewJeffCT]

4. almost enough to power 3 DeLorean time machines

[ladjf]

12. Thank you again Kristopher for your continued efforts to advance the utilization of renewable

energy sources. You and a few others are about all that is left on DU worth reading.

[diane in sf]

14. Thanks Kris! This is a good counterpoint to all the political bad news.

Decentralized energy is a good part what it will take to disempower the Kochs and other oligarchs.