U.S. module imports surged in the first quarter!

    U.S. solar installations surged 47% in the first quarter, according to an industry report on Thursday, as an easing of panel supply eased an industry impasse and allowed many stalled megaprojects to be completed and brought online.
    An analysis by research firm Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) trade group found that the U.S. solar industry installed 6.1GW of capacity in the first quarter, its best quarter ever, and could power more than 1 million homes. powered by.
    Solar installations accounted for 54% of new U.S. power generation capacity additions in the first quarter, with Florida having the highest new solar installations, the report said. SEIA slightly raised its forecast for this year from 28.4GW to 29GW due to the strong performance in the first quarter.
    What is particularly striking in the report is that the United States imported 12GW of photovoltaic modules in the first quarter, and will import 29GW in 2022. The first quarter of photovoltaic modules undoubtedly ushered in explosive growth.
Large-scale project installations by utilities and other large customers were 3.8GW, up 66% year-on-year. The growth heralds a major change for the industry, which follows continued tightness in the supply of imported PV modules in the US due to the implementation of a ban on imported PV modules.
    Household photovoltaics have also achieved good results. In the first quarter, household photovoltaics soared by 30%, reaching 1.6GW.
    However, SEIA said that due to economic uncertainty, photovoltaic installations in many states in the United States have slowed down, and residential photovoltaic installations are expected to grow by only 8% this year.
    The sector is expected to experience strong growth over the next five years, spurred by renewable energy incentives in U.S. President Joe Biden's new Inflation Cutting Act, SEIA said in the report. Between 2024 and 2028, annual growth is expected to be above 10%, with installations set to triple from current levels by 2029.