Solar was the star performer of the US renewable energy generators in 2013, adding 2,963MW of new capacity over the year, according to new figures from the country’s Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC).

Overall, renewable energy in the US accounted for over 37% of all new electricity generating capacity in 2013.

According to FERC’s latest ‘Energy Infrastructure Update’ report, 5,279MW of renewable energy capacity was added in 2013, outmuscling coal more than three-fold.

Solar’s tally for the year was 44% up on 2012’s 2,056MW, although achieved across fewer separate units, a reflection of the extent to which large projects have come to dominate the US market.

In 2013 solar was second only to natural gas, which was the clear leader across all energy types, with 7,270MW of new capacity added in 2013, a decrease from 2012’s 9,331MW.

Overall, the total new renewable energy capacity in 2013 was markedly down on 2012. This was due to the spike in new wind capacity in 2012 as developers rushed to beat the expiration of the federal production tax credit for wind, which was eventually extended until the end of 2013.

According to FERC’s figures, renewable energy sources now account for 15.97% of total installed operating generating capacity in the US.

With 7.42GW now online, solar accounts for 0.64% of the US total generating capacity.