The solar industry is growing rapidly this year

From the Los Angeles Times:

The Solar Energy Industries Assn., a major trade group, said that commercial solar customers in the U.S. installed 103 megawatts in the third quarter, a 38% boom from the same period in 2009.

Overall, more than 27,000 homes and businesses set up solar systems, according to the group, which partnered with GTM research. The average cost fell to below $6 a watt for the first time.

By the end of the year, the U.S. industry might surpass one gigawatt of installtions, between photovoltaic, concentrating solar power, and solar heating and cooling projects, the group said. So far, California is leading the pack, followed by New Jersey, Florida, Arizona and Colorado.

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