
Chapter 14
Market study: Current state
of the US solar market
Brett Prior
In 2011, there were over 1,800 megawatts (MW) of solar installed in the United
States. Approximately 40% of the total volume, or 700 MW, was in the utility seg-
ment. This chapter of the book will attempt to answer the following key questions:
– What is the current state of the US utility solar market?
– What does the future hold for the US utility segment?
14.1 SOLAR PROJECTS IN OPERATION
14.1.1 Solar projects by technology
14.1.1.1 Crystalline silicon and thin film photovoltaics
There are over 1,000 MW of operational utility photovoltaic (PV) plants in operation
in the US. ...