American Solar Energy breaks record

The U.S. solar energy industry installed a record number of panels in 2011. In total, more than double compared to 2010 and is expected to see strong growth this year, according to a new report.

Solar installers built 1,855 MW of solar cells in 2011 with a total value of $ 8.4 billion. This is an increase from 887 MW in 2010, according to a report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

The fourth quarter hit a record existing installations, which ended up totaling 776 MW. This easily beats the 473 MW installed during the third quarter.

USA was a strong market in 2011 and we expect that there is strong again in 2012, says Shayle Kann, managing director of GTM Reaserch.

Many industry analysts have lowered their forecasts last year between 1,500-1,700 MW, when the incentive was diminishing in the country's two largest markets, California and New Jersey. The figures for 2011 put the United States as the fourth largest solar markets in the world after Germany, Italy and China, according to Kann.