“Developers
installed 684 megawatts of solar panels in the U.S. in the third quarter, 44
percent more than a year earlier, as residential projects rose to a record,
according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
About 3.2
gigawatts of solar energy will be installed in the U.S. this year, the
Washington-based trade group forecast today in a statement.
Installations
in the current quarter may almost double from the third quarter to 1,200
megawatts, which would be the most ever in a three-month period. Fourth-quarter
installations have accounted for more than 40 percent of the annual totals in
the past two years, driven in part by developers racing to qualify for expiring
incentives, according to SEIA.
‘While Q3
2012 was remarkable for the U.S. PV market, it is just the opening act for what
we expect to see in Q4,’”
