June 14, 2018 | By RGR Marketing Blog

3 Trends That Indicate This Will Be a Break-Out Year for Solar

In 2017, the U.S. solar industry took a hit with President Trump’s continued focus on helping the coal industry and with the tariffs he placed on solar panel imports. Because of these factors, solar job growth slowed in 2017 with the industry producing 10,000 fewer jobs than expected.

But, if you look at the entire year, the data tells another story. For starters, the U.S. installed more renewable energy capacity than it did fossil fuel capacity in 2017. Meanwhile, community solar projects became the fastest-growing solar sector in the country, outdistancing residential projects. Tesla also started mass-producing solar tiles, Sunnova introduced an all-in-one solar and storage system, and Microsoft invested in a 315 mega-watt solar project in Virginia, which turned out to be the largest solar PPA in the U.S. So, there is a golden lining for the solar industry when you take that closer look.

And, if certain trends tell us anything, things are looking to get even better for solar in 2018. Here are some of the trends that are proving to be signs of good things to come.

Module Technologies Are Changing

For years now, the most common PV modules used in solar installations were multicrystalline-silicon (Multi c-Si) modules. But, in 2017, monocrystalline-silicon (Mono c-Si) started becoming more and more popular among installers. These modules gained renewed attention after manufacturers started adding passivated emitter rear contacts (PERC). This change helped reduce cost and increase profit potential.

Voltage Inverters Keep Growing

Large-scale solar installations have captured a fair portion of the market, so it makes sense that three-phase string and higher voltage inverters have also gained in market share. The industry is shifting from 1000-volt systems to 1500-volt systems, and string inverters are now being built with larger capacities. In fact, many installers are replacing low capacity central inverters even in their utility scale installations.

Growth in the Distributed Generation Market

Traditionally, utility scale solar accounted for the largest portion of the solar market. But, in 2018, the distributed generation market is expected to grow significantly. This is expected for several reasons, including the fact that distributed generation requires less land mass and the transmission cost is more affordable because solar storage systems can be branched out. The result is a more reliable and more affordable energy distribution system for businesses and residential communities alike.

New Markets Are Fueling the Growth in Solar

Despite not having a friend in the White House, the solar industry is here to stay, and all trends are pointing to it having an excellent 2018. The market’s recovery is real, and it’s being driven in part by several fast-growing new markets, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.

California, the nation’s largest solar market, might have stumbled in 2017, but in the fourth quarter of last year the state enjoyed a six percent increase in growth, so it too is bouncing back and that’s a very good sign for solar companies.

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to boost your solar installation company’s growth this year, cashing in on the increased demand for renewable energy? Get in touch with RGR today: we’ll help you purchase high quality solar leads to give your sales team something truly remarkable to work with.

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