By Vivian Padilla and John Yantis
Cronkite News Service
After years of rapid growth, residential solar-power installations in Arizona are likely to slow down some in the near future as prices tick up and utility incentives shrink, some experts say.
There are few signs of that predicted slump yet in the Southwest Valley, solar installers say. Solar installers that do business in the region report strong sales recently, particularly in March, because of lower prices for panels and improved financing.
In 2012, Arizona was the nation’s second-largest market for residential and commercial solar growth, adding 710 megawatts worth of photovoltaic panels to rank behind only California, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Consumers have benefited from oversupply as companies rushed into the market. However, the recent collapse into bankruptcy of Power Holdings Co. Ltd., a Chinese firm that shuttered its Goodyear plant, is a symptom of the industry shaking out due to competition, said Stephen Goodnick, professor of electrical engineering at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.
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If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
