By Patrick O’Grady| Phoenix Business Journal
Arizona fell to fourth in the amount of solar power being installed around the state for the first quarter, even as the U.S. total hit a record during that time frame.
A quarterly study produced by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association saw Arizona’s ranking in terms of megawatts installed fall to 39.1 in the first quarter, just as the U.S. is ramping up to have a record year. The first quarter saw total installations of 723 megawatts, which represented the fourth best quarter ever in the U.S. and a 33 percent increase over the first quarter of 2012.
The number was the best installation total for any first quarter and only trailed the fourth quarters of 2011 and 2012 as well as the second quarter of 2012. The fourth quarter typically is the high point for solar installations as many groups are racing to finish projects to qualify for federal tax credits.
