Solar energy installations continue to grow in the US

June 4, 2014 0 By John Max

Solar Energy Residential

Organization highlights the growth of solar installations in the US during the first quarter of 2014

Solar panel installation saw significant and promising growth in the first quarter of this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Solar power has managed to gain powerful momentum throughout the country, especially among homeowners that are growing weary of increasing energy costs coming from utilities. Hotter summers and colder winters are also having an impact on the attractiveness of solar power, as people begin to rely more heavily on air conditioning and heating, both energy intensive luxuries.

Solar installations grow by 79% over what they had been in during the first quarter of 2013

Solar installations throughout the country grew by 79% since the first quarter of 2013. Utility solar projects lead the way in terms of installations, but homeowners are beginning to account for a significant portion of newly installed capacity in the U.S. This is largely due to the increasing availability of solar leasing programs. These programs are offered by companies like SolarCity and are designed to remove the upfront costs associated with solar energy systems.

Leasing programs help homeowners embrace solar power

Solar technology is not inexpensive, and the cost of installing such technology is quite high. This is one of the reasons that homeowners tend to avoid purchasing and installing solar panels on their properties. Leasing programs help solve this problem, giving homeowners a way to embrace solar power without having to manage the excessive costs it is associated with.

1,330 MW of solar power capacity was installed throughout the US in the first quarter

The Solar Energy Industries Association shows that some 1,330 megawatts of direct current solar capacity was installed during the first quarter of 2014, representing the second largest growth that solar installations in the U.S. have seen. For the first time in history, an estimated one third of residential solar installations came online without any financial aid provided by the federal or state governments. Instead, leasing programs were the primary way that homeowners were able to install and make use of their own solar power systems.

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