June 19, 2014: US Residential Solar Exceeds Commercial for First Time in First Quarter
Ongoing Strength in Residential Sector and Volatility in Commercial Market Spurred This Milestone
BOSTON and WASHINGTON — Driven by strong year-over-year growth in the utility and residential markets, the United States installed 1,330 megawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the first quarter of 2014. According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) Q1 2014 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, the U.S. installed 232 megawatts of residential PV, exceeding the commercial market’s 225 megawatts for the first time in the history of the report.
Ongoing strength in the residential sector and volatility in the commercial market spurred this milestone. Despite the dip in nonresidential installations, GTM Research and SEIA expect the market to rebound and exceed the residential market in 2014 annual PV installations.