U.S. Solar Surges 44% in Third Quarter

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. Read more.

Image: U.S. Department of Energy.