From the Editor

The solar industry is growing rapidly. Want some numbers? Here you go: Overall, PV installations increased 109 percent in 2011 over 2010. About 1,855 MWs of installations went up in 2011, according to statistics from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

The utility PV market installed 758 MW in 2011, a 185 percent growth over 2010. The commercial PV market grew 127 percent in 2011 to reach 800 MW of installations. 

What’s more, since the start of 2010, the average cost to install a PV system has dropped more than 35 percent. The average price of a solar panel declined by more than 50 percent in 2011.

But all is not rosy. On December 31, 2011, Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expired. This section allowed PV owners to apply for a cash grant in lieu of existing tax credits for solar energy. The section was a huge boon for solar installations because it allowed owners to get their rebates quicker.

One study by the National Renewable Energy Lab estimated that 75,000 jobs and up to $44 billion in total economic output were created by Section 1603 funded solar and wind projects. Clearly, the program has been successful in fostering the growth of solar, says NREL. 

President Obama, renewable energy advocates, and many corporations, have repeatedly called upon Congress to extend the Section 1603 grant. But so far, there have been few signs of movement. The Federal tax credit for renewable energy doesn’t expire until 2016. It’s just the Section 1603 that's dead — but it’s that grant program that NREL and SEIA both give a lot of the credit for the growth in solar the last several years. Let’s hope Congress comes to its senses. 

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

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