In the first quarter of 2024, the U.S. solar industry installed 11.8 GW of new solar capacity,
raising the nation’s total to 200 GW. This data comes from the latest “U.S. Solar Market
Insight” report by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie.
The report also finalized the 2023 figures, showing that the country added over 40 GW of
new solar capacity last year. Wood Mackenzie predicts that the U.S. solar industry will install
another 40 GW in 2024.
Significant growth in the utility-scale market is driving these record solar deployment figures,
with nearly 10 GW of new capacity added in Q1 alone. Florida and Texas led all states in new
solar capacity for Q1, with strong utility-scale growth. Other notable markets included New
Mexico and Ohio, which installed 686 MW and 546 MW, respectively.
“The U.S. solar industry continues to show strength in terms of deployments,” said Michelle
Davis, head of global solar at Wood Mackenzie and lead author of the report. “At the same
time, the solar industry faces several challenges to its continued growth, including labor
availability, high voltage equipment constraints, and ongoing trade policy uncertainty.”
The residential solar segment, however, faced significant setbacks. Policy changes in California
contributed to the worst quarter for residential solar in two years, with installations dropping
to just 1.3 GW — a 25% decline year-over-year and an 18% decrease from the previous quarter.
The commercial (434 MW) and community solar (279 MW) markets remained steady year
over-year.
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