Community solar’s leaps and bounds source:GTM Research
Community solar gardens are projected to growth five-fold by 2020 adding another 1.8 gigawatts of facilities, according to a report by GTM Research.
Through the end of 2014 66 megawatts off solar gardens have been installed and over the next two years four states – , California, Massachusetts and Minnesota – will installed the majority of community solar.
The four states well serve as the with more than 80 percent of the installations in the next two years, according to the Boston-based green energy marketing and consulting firm.
Still, 24 states have at least one community solar project on-line, and 20 states have or are in the process of enacting community solar legislation.
“Looking ahead to 2020, the community solar opportunity is poised to become more geographically diversified, as developers ramp up service offerings to utilities in states without community solar legislation in place and national rooftop solar companies enter the community solar scene,” said Cory Honeyman, GTM solar analyst.
Two Colorado-based companies –Clean Energy Collective and SunShare – account for 32 percent of the operating community solar gardens, but GTM Research identified 29 developers that are actively working on community solar projects.
GTM Research expects a wave of market entry and expansion over the next five years, as rooftop solar companies including, NRG, SunEdison, and build out their community solar efforts.
