TOKYO -- New solar panel installations in the U.S. have slumped by an estimated 23% this year to 18.6 gigawatts, as trade restrictions with China limit access to key low-cost parts and materials.
Large utility-scale installations have been hit especially hard, dropping 40% to 10.3 GW, according to a recent report from Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). A 37% jump in residential solar projects to 5.8 GW was not enough to make up for this decline.