Key trends in this Quarterly Update include: IHS EER estimates that 2011 solar installations were approximately 1.8 GW, with 746 MW installed in Q4 2011. Solar-on-solar competition is heating up in the Western US, where photovoltaic (PV) technology is further penetrating developer pipelines and overshadowing concentrated solar power (CSP) and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV). Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity stays strong in Q4 2011, with several significant loan guarantee projects being acquired by large power players. Falling system costs and resulting power purchase agreements (PPAs) continue to decline. In select instances, PPA bids have hit levels lower than US$85/MWh in high-solar-resource zones.
Key trends in this Quarterly Update include: