Solar photovoltaic (PV) power was the leading renewable energy technology in terms of new capacity installed in Europe in 2010. New figures released by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) detail PV capacity additions, in 2010, of 13.246 gigawatts (GW). This beats new wind capacity, of which 9,925 MW was added in 2010. The more than 13 GW new PV capacity added in 2010 compares to 4 GW for the rest of the world. In the EU, new PV capacity was second only to gas at 18-22 GW, depending on methodology and sources chosen. Thanks to the 13 GW installed in 2010, cumulative installed PV capacity in the EU rose from 16 GW to almost 30 GW.
EPIA links the increase in 2010 to the rapid growth in the German and Italian markets. Germany leads the PV market worldwide with 7.4 GW installed in just one year. Italy installed 2.3 GW of capacity. Other countries also saw significant growth, notes EPIA. The Czech Republic added 1.5 GW in 2010 although EPIA admits that the country is unlikely to sustain growth in 2011. France added over 700 MW and Spain regained some ground by installing 370 MW. This follows two years of adverse conditions given the country's major economic problems. Belgium connected more than 420 MW of PV capacity to its grid in 2010.
The figures are given in EPIA's 'Global market outlook for photovoltaics until 2015'. This indicates steady progress elsewhere in the world with Japan and the US almost reaching the gigawatt mark with, respectively, 990 and 900 megawatts (MW) installed in 2010. EPIA President Ingmar Wilhelm notes that growth in Europe is dependent on state support. "Adequate support policies that have been driving the markets so far, such as feed-in tariffs, must continue," said Wilhelm.
Nonetheless, Wilhelm admits that support should be brought into line with the declining cost curve of PV. "The PV industry also supports well-designed support schemes that simplify the authorisation processes and moreover limit the cost for electricity consumers, while ensuring the development of the market and industry," he says. EPIA claims that grid parity for small-scale residential and commercial PV systems will be reached in the coming years in several countries. Additionally, the industry association expects PV to progressively reach competitiveness all over Europe by 2020.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Europolitics Photovoltaic power generation leaps forward in 2010
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