Solarbuzz, a New York based research firm, believes that leading up to 2015 the United States will see the solar market grow at a rate of 47% each year.

As of now, the US accounts for 5% of the world's total solar PV market, a small amount for a country with such great access to viable sunlight.  However, Solarbuzz predicts that by 2015 this number will be up to 12%, putting the US behind Germany and Italy at third place for solar PV.  The recent drop in prices has increased the demand to install systems both residentially and commercially.

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RFP's) are increasing in states across the US, as they surged from 17% in 2009 to 31% in some states last year.  It is these RFP's that will be the main cause behind the utility solar demand, expected to be at around 60% of on-grid PV by 2015.  This estimate is up from the 2011 forecast of 54%, as denoted by the blue section of the chart.  


In the US, California is still the leader in solar energy and is followed by New Jersey, Arizona, and Colorado.  With the drop in prices and as federal cash grants expire with the end of the year, the solar industry is expecting an increase in solar installations across the country.  


To read the fill article, please visit the following link: 
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/08/08/us-solar-pv-to-double-in-2011-grow-47-a-year-to-2015/

Eliza Jones-Summer Intern