subject: While The U.s. Recession In 2009 The Solar Industry Is Still Strong Growth - Heat Pumps, Solar [print this page] American Solar Energy Industries Association (SolarEnergyIndustriesAssociation, SEIA) was recently released 2009 annual review report of the U.S. solar industry, found that despite the economic recession in 2009, is still another year of strong growth. Government policies, new business models and the combined effects of falling prices, led the expansion of the solar energy industry in 2009, and 2010 will continue to grow.
Overall, the U.S. solar power capacity, including concentrator photovoltaic and solar thermal power (CSP) facilities, an increase of 37% in 2009. According to SEIA analysis, mainly due to residential and utility-scale strong market demand, state and federal policies to promote and technology to improve the price down. Therefore, the total solar energy industry in 2009 operating income of 40 billion U.S. dollars, up 36% in 2008.
According to SEIA findings, from the U.S. coast to coast, the solar industry for the U.S. economy as a whole provides 1.7 million new jobs. As of April 2010, the U.S. solar energy industry employment reached 4.6 million, and support other departments and another 3.3 million jobs.
According to SEIA report, in 2009, and net growth of 38% of PV installations, solar water heaters use up 10%, while in 2008 the growth rate of solar water heaters use less than 10%, reflecting the slowdown in construction and housing markets.
2009 condenser pressure solar thermal power (CSP) department has three new facilities into use, the U.S. total of CSP capacity of 432MW, the projects under development totaling over 10,000 MW. Data show that residential solar facilities and network with particularly strong growth, doubling from 78MW to reach 156MW, and net non-residential solar photovoltaic installations grew by less than than 2% in 2008.
Utility PV market is significant growth, their grid-connected PV capacity quadrupled, from 22MW to 66MW. Construction of overall utility scale photovoltaic facility level (including all solar energy technologies) to 17GW, would be enough electricity for 3.4 million families. SEIA found that solar energy provides the U.S. economy 1.7 million new jobs, and now the solar industry supports 4.6 million jobs, and for other industries increased by 3.3 million jobs.
The growth of the industry revenue growth in the whole 36%, amounting to nearly 40 billion U.S. dollars. Solar industry growth, from 2008 to 2009 photovoltaic module production grew by 7%.
Situation from the state in 2009, California (220MW) continues to lead the new solar power capacity of the United States, followed by New Jersey (57 MW), Florida (36MW), Arizona (23MW), Colorado (23MW ), Hawaii (14MW), New York (12MW), Massachusetts (10MW), Connecticut (9MW), and North Carolina (8MW). Hawaii in 2009, the highest per capita solar energy generating capacity (10.4W / person). Nevada has the highest per capita total solar power capacity (38W / person). 20 of 58 states are building new solar production facility, including Michigan, in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In the international comparison shows that in 2009 new solar power capacity in the U.S. (481MW) ranked fourth, behind Germany (3000MW), Italy (700MW) and Japan (484MW). U.S. total solar power capacity (2108MW) is also ranked fourth behind Germany (8877MW), Spain (3595MW) and Japan (2,628 MW). New solar power-generating capacity per capita, the U.S. ranked 10 (1.6W / person), the cumulative solar generation capacity per capita, the U.S. ranked 9th (6.9W / person).
