The U.S. solar PV market is expected to surpass Germany, Italy and Japan in new capacity installed in 2013 when the nation is expected to lay down 5,000 MW of new projects, according to a report by ABI Research.

The U.S. installed 900 MW of solar PV in 2010, and that number is expected to double by the end of 2011.

Thirty U.S. states already have Renewable Energy Standards (RES), and the report says some states are likely to adopt a feed-in-tariff (FIT), led by California, which is working its way to meeting its goal of 33 percent renewables by 2020. The new policies, the report says, will be prompted by a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision that clarified a ruling that the report says inhibited states’ adoption of FITs.

Companies with strong American operations, such as First Solar, SunPower and SolarWorld, are identified as possible winners of an American ramp-up ahead of the 2013 installation.

“These PV companies can expect to achieve considerable growth from the U.S. market,” said Josh Flood, senior analyst at ABI Research. “In total, the three will add a combined 3,000 MW of additional manufacturing capacity for PV modules during 2011 and 2012.”