The U.S. solar industry installed 7.29 gigawatts of solar power generation last year, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association.
That amounted to 17 percent growth over 2014’s installations, and for the first time was enough to top last year’s additions of natural gas capacity, the groups said.
The growth was led by California, North Carolina, Nevada, Massachusetts and New York. Connecticut ranked 14th in installed solar capacity last year, up from 15th in the two previous years.
More details will be available when GTM and SEIA release their U.S. Solar Market Insight report next month.
The U.S. residential solar market grew 66 percent over 2014, eclipsing two gigawatts. It now represents nearly one-third of the U.S. solar market, the report said.
Meanwhile, utility-scale solar grew six percent, representing more than half of all solar installed last year.
