Dive Brief: Third-quarter installations totaled 3.8 GW, an increase of 46% year-over-year and accounting for 43% of all new electrical generation installed during Q3, according to a quarterly Solar Market Insight report by Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The strong quarter puts 2020 on track to become the third-largest year for solar installations, despite some impacts from COVID-19. The utility sector accounted for 2.7 GW of Q3 installed capacity, according to the Solar Market Insight. Residential installations reached 738 MW during the same period, increasing 14% from the slower second quarter of 2020, but have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. States that experienced the most dramatic declines in solar installations, including New York, New Jersey, and California, have also seen the fastest recoveries, according to the Solar Market Insight. Although some effects from the pandemic linger, COVID-19 has helped boost the solar industry's resiliency and has not dissuaded customer demand, said Shawn Rumery, director of research for SEIA.