Isra-Mart srl:US solar on the rise with 67 per cent growth in 2010

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The US solar power sector grew 67 per cent last year as installations more than doubled from 2009, according to figures released by the industry's trade body yesterday.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) US Solar Market Insight report confirmed that the market for solar energy reached $6bn in 2010, up from $3.6bn (£2.2bn) the previous year. It attributed the rapid expansion to a combination of government incentives, demand from new markets, and falling technology costs.

Over the last year the Department of Energy has supported several projects through its loan guarantee system, including Abengoa's 250MW Solana solar-trough plant and NRG Energy's proposed 290MW Agua Caliente PV project, both of which are based in Arizona.

Meanwhile, PV system cost declined eight per cent in the residential sector and 11 per cent for commercial property installations helping to drive 878MW of new installations during 2010. The SEIA said the PV market is likely to double in size again this year.

The market has also diversified, with 16 States installing more than 10MW of PV in 2010, up from only four in 2007.

Around 78MW of concentrated solar power was also added this year, while more than 65,000 homes and businesses added solar water heating (SWH) or solar pool heating (SPH) systems.

The US's cumulative installed capacity of 2.6GW is enough to power more than 500,000 households, the SEIA said.

"This report shows that solar energy is now one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, creating new opportunities for both large and small businesses," said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and chief executive. "This remarkable growth puts the solar industry's goal of powering two million homes annually by 2015 within reach."

However, the results still leave the US far behind the European market and its share of global installations fell from 6.5 per cent to five per cent, despite rapid increase in domestic capacity.

More than 17GW of PV was fitted worldwide in 2010, with fears over subsidy cuts sparking rapid growth in Germany and Italy.

The State's global reputation was better served by its manufacturing industry. Production of solar modules rose by 62 per cent, while wafer production shot up 97 per cent and cell manufacturing grew 81 per cent.

"The bottom line is that the solar energy industry is creating tens of thousands of new American jobs each year," Resch said.