A recent solar industry report found a record level—4.2 gigawatts—of photovoltaic (PV) installations in the U.S. in 2013, making the U.S. the number two solar market behind China.  The U.S. market has grown 15 percent since 2012.

The report, by NPD Solarbuzz, also shows that North Carolina rose into the number two spot nationally (behind California) in 2013, up three spots from 2012. According to an article in the Duke University Chronicle, Larry Shirley, the director of operations and planning at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, “attributes North Carolina’s ascension to solar-friendly policies.

“That seemed to ignite solar within the state,” the Chronicle quotes Shirley as saying. He also said the 35 percent state solar tax credit is “a juicy business incentive.”

Other states in the top 10 are Arizona, New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, and New York.