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US Solar

SolarCity Claims 1/3 Of 2015 US Residential Rooftop Installations

by Glenn Meyers December 29, 2015

2015 has been a good year for SolarCity after tallying over one-third of all residential rooftop installations in this country.

The five leading US installers accounted for more than half of all residential solar installations between Q1 and Q3 of this year. But SolarCity has claimed the lion’s share of this market pie, reporting 34% of residential solar PV installations in the first three-quarters of 2015, according to GTM Research’s ‘US PV Leaderboard: Q4 2015‘.

The market share of the leading US residential solar installers in this period are listed as follows:

SolarCity 34.1%
Vivint Solar 11.6%
Sunrun 2.6%
NRG Home Solar 2%
Sungevity 1.9%

GTM Research also reports this is the third year the US residential market has seen more than 50% growth. This encouraging data provides sound news for the solar energy industry and for renewable energy overall.

The research report concluded, “This rapid growth can largely be attributed to the widespread availability and increasing diversity of financing solutions.” Lower pricing should also be counted as a contributor to this growth picture.

The residential market is also expected to profit from the extension of the ITC tax credit for solar beyond 2022, with the current 30% level remaining until 2019. The ITC had been scheduled to close at the end of 2016 for residential systems with larger projects dropping from the current 30% level to 10%.

GTM Research expects the competitive landscape for this industry will continue evolving, pointing to new market entrants, acquisitions, and changing consumer finance options.

The US Department of Energy has reported,

“Since President Obama took office, the number of homes with rooftop solar has grown from more than 66,000 to 734,000. Last year, the solar industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy and solar represented 40 percent of all new electric generating capacity brought online in the first half of 2015. Since the beginning of 2010, the average cost of a solar electric system has dropped by 50 percent. In fact, distributed solar prices fell 10 to 20 percent in 2014 alone. And since President Obama took office, solar power has increased twenty fold.”

We look forward to charting similar growth data for residential rooftop solar in the coming year.

Solar workers install solar panels via Shutterstock

Graphic via GTM Research

December 29, 2015 2 comments

Market Research Solar Research

GTM’s Shayle Kann Predicts Future Of US Solar

by Joshua S Hill November 10, 2015

written by Joshua S Hill

Shayle Kann, the director of GTM Research, is predicting the US solar industry to continue on its impressive growth streak, and to play a “meaningful role” in the future of electricity in the US.

The former Fullbright scholar, who now directs GTM Research, the market analysis, advisory and consulting division of Greentech Media, is behind the latest executive briefing from GTM Research, which investigates the future of the US solar industry. Specifically, Kann envisions solar playing “a meaningful role in the future of electricity in the US” thanks in part to fallen solar costs.

Solar PV System Price Forecast Through 2030

Solar PV System Price Forecast Through 2030, a slide from Shayle Kann’s presentation at the US Solar Market Insight event.

“For the solar industry,” Kann writes, “it is time to start thinking about the next order of magnitude.” Given that the US solar industry has skyrocketed from only 2 GW cumulative capacity at the end of 2010 through to a likely 26 GW by the end of this year, that could mean a lot of the US solar industry. Kann believes that the US solar industry could realistically grow from contributing approximately 1% of the US electricity to 10% over the next 10 to 15 years.

But “That path is by no means guaranteed,” Kann adds, noting that “solar faces both advantages and disadvantages as it begins to truly scale.”

Which is the driving force between Kann’s executive report, highlighting “the key forces likely to push, or impede, solar growth in the coming years” and identifying “opportunities for the solar industry to ensure its future.” The report follows a presentation Shayle Kann gave at the US Solar Market Insight event, in front of more than 400 executives from the solar industry, on November 3.

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The Future of US Solar executive report was provided by GTM Research

November 10, 2015 0 comment

Solar Records

US Solar Industry Installs 1,393 MW Of PV In Q2’15, Pushes Industry Past 20 GW

by Joshua S Hill September 9, 2015

written by Joshua S Hill

The US solar industry installed 1,393 MW of solar PV in the second quarter of 2015, pushing the country’s total cumulative capacity past 20 GW.

The news comes courtesy of the new Q2 2015 US Solar Market Insight Report, published by GTM Research and the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Published on Tuesday, the report highlighted the “record-breaking trajectory” of the US solar industry.

The report also highlights the fact that 40% of all new electric generating capacity brought online in the first half of 2015 in the US came from solar. 21 states throughout the country now have more than 100 MW of solar PV capacity, though the top five states in terms of solar capacity account for nearly ¾ of the total US cumulative PV capacity.

Interestingly, the authors of the report expect the second half of 2015 to “be significantly larger than the first in terms of new deployments,” thanks primarily to “a bevy of utility-scale project completions, combined with a continued ramp in the residential market and a commercial solar resurgence in select states.”

“The utility PV market continues to be the bedrock driver of new installation growth,” said Shayle Kann, Senior Vice President at GTM Research. “And in the second half of this year through 2016, growth will reach new heights as a higher share of what comes online stems from projects procured purely based on centralized solar’s cost competitiveness.”

September 9, 2015 0 comment

Jobs PV Rooftop Solar Solar $

Sunrun Announces Certified Partnership Program To Grow Network

by Adam Johnston November 18, 2014

written by Adam Johnston

Sunrun has announced a new certified program to advance its network and business model. With the certificate partnership program, partners will receive help with training, technology, and products necessary to advance their businesses.

Sunrun is different compared to other installers, including SolarCity and Vivint. It uses a network of partner installers and manufacturers to grow its own business, while assisting its network partners to expand theirs.

Vice President Matthew Woods said Sunrun’s partners are a critical part of its business, especially when extending into different areas of the US.

The Sunrun Partner Program will have different levels of performance metrics. Partners will have access to Sunrun BrightPath, a software program, sales training, and marketing support.

Currently, 35 companies are in the program. These companies range from sales only, to companies that install and sell residential solar, to Engineering Procurement and Development (EPC) companies.

“Being a part of the Sunrun Partner Program has provided me with the support I need for my marketing and sales teams to be successful in the field,” said Rising Sun Solar Brad Albert, a member of Sunrun’s Partner Program.

“The dedicated support staff is always there for me, and the marketing resources has been a huge time-saver. I have ownership over my own company, but I have the support of Sunrun’s reputation and network when I need it,” he said.

One can look at this recent move as part of Sunrun’s plan of reaching 100% growth 2015. Around 67% of its consumers come from its affiliated associates. In 2013, Sunrun saw a 60% increase in installations compared to 2012, while installing 792 MW.

Leveraging those partners, which make up most of Sunrun’s customers, will be critical for its future success. Without a solid partnership program, as mentioned in this post, Sunrun would likely face a harder challenge in reaching its 100% 2015 growth rate target.

November 18, 2014 0 comment