North Carolina and Texas shine in record 2013 for US solar

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

North Carolina and Texas both surged up the rankings of leading US solar states in 2013 in what was a record-breaking year for the country, according to analysts NPD Solarbuzz.

The south-eastern state leapt three places up the top-10 list to take second place to California, which was once again crowned the US’s top solar state.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Texas also performed strongly, gaining four places to take the number five spot. The Lone Star state has commonly been regarded an under-performer in solar terms.

Overall, the US saw 4.2GW of new solar capacity added last year, boosting the country’s total market by 15% compared to 2012 and making it the world's largest market outside Asia in 2013.

The fourth quarter of 2013 was particularly strong, with 1.4GW of new capacity installed in total.

According to Solarbuzz, large-scale projects dominated the new capacity installations, accounting for 80% of new deployment. The ground-mount segment reached almost 3GW in 2013, with over 1GW installed in the fourth quarter alone.

Michael Barker, senior analyst at Solarbuzz, said: “Each year, the final quarter in the United States results in a new quarterly record for solar PV installed. The solar PV industry in the United States is, on average, now installing more than one gigawatt of solar PV each quarter.”

Solarbuzz ascribed North Carolina’s ascendency to strong activity in the utility-scale segment.

In its climb up the rankings it knocked Arizona and New Jersey down the list, with these states falling to number three and four respectively.

New York and New Mexico were both new entrants to the top 10, displacing Maryland and Colorado.

Solarbuzz has predicted the US will be the third largest market in 2014 after China and Japan.

Read Next

July 11, 2025
Sabanci Renewables, the North American subsidiary of Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holdings, is building a 156MWdc solar project in McLennan County, Texas.
July 11, 2025
Renewable electricity generation has grown more than twice as fast as total global electricity generation since 2012, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
July 11, 2025
Indian independent power producer (IPP) Juniper Green Energy has commissioned an additional 71MWp at Chapalgaon Solar Project in Solapur, Maharashtra.
July 11, 2025
The Asia Pacific (APAC) region has accounted for 69% of the 589GW solar PV inverters shipped in 2024, according to a report from analyst Wood Mackenzie.
Premium
July 11, 2025
Analysis: A presidential executive order issued on Monday tightening up project start rules is causing concern among developers.
Premium
July 11, 2025
According to the latest pricing data from the Silicon Industry Branch, released on 9 July, the transaction price range for n-type dense polysilicon has oscillated between RMB34,000-38,000/ton (US$4,741-5,299/ton).

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK