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PARIS, France, April 26, 2006 (Refocus Weekly)
Luxembourg has the highest per-capita use of
solar PV in Europe, at 51.5 watts per inhabitant, well ahead of the
18.6 W/pp in Germany.
All other countries in the EU-25 fell below the continental
average of 3.9 watts per person, with the Netherlands rated at 3.1,
Austria at 2.7 and Spain at 1.4 watts per capita, according to the
latest ‘barometer’ prepared by Observ’ER. Cyprus was in sixth place
at 0.8, Finland 0.8, Italy 0.6, France 0.5, Greece 0.5, Denmark 0.5,
Sweden 0.4, Portugal 0.3, UK 0.2 and Belgium 0.2 watts per person.
“The European market showed all of its strength and soundness in
2005,” with 645 MW of solar cells installed versus the 546 MW
installed in 2004, the report notes. The 18% growth “could have been
even greater if the market had not been continually curbed by a lack
of raw materials.”
Germany remained the leading PV market in the world, far ahead of
Japan and the United States, with 603 MW installed, and the
“unabashed success” in Germany has inspired Spain and Italy to set
up conditions to develop their own solar sectors. Spain installed
20.2 MW last year, followed by 6.4 MW in France and 5 MW in Italy,
with the top-five countries including the UK (2.5) and Austria (2.3
MW).
Cumulative PV capacity in the European Union reached 1,793.5 MW by
the end of last year, of which 1,692.6 MW was on-grid and 100.9 MW
was off. The top ten countries were Germany (1,508 MW on-grid, 29 MW
off), Spain (42.5 - 15.2), Netherlands (46.3 - 4.9), Italy (23 -
13), France (13.8 - 18.9), Luxembourg (23.3 - 0), Austria (18.2 -
3.2), UK (9.8 - 0.9), Greece (1.4 - 4) and Sweden (0.3 MW on grid -
3.9 MW off).
“The EU photovoltaic market reached the limits of its supply
capacities for the first time” in 2005 and PV companies could have
produced “considerably more modules if it had not been for the
present shortage of silicon,” the report explains. The 1,793.5 MWp
of capacity is sufficient to supply power to 600,000 homes, and
grid-connected applications (solar roofs, facades, power plants) now
represent almost all of the EU market.
“The importance of the German market and the multiplicity of the
power network operators make it difficult to provide precise figures
for this sector,” and there is a dispute between production figures
published by companies and the figures from the annual survey by
Photon International magazine. The new German solar industry
association (BSW-Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft which results from
the merging of BSI and UVS) says the 2005 market is at least 600 MW
while Photon magazine says it is 870 MW.
“The prospects for photovoltaic market growth are still as good as
ever,” the report concludes. Silicon producers have responded to
expectations of the PV industry by announcing new production
capacities, and these extensions “have reassured the photovoltaic
industry which, in turn, answered by heavily investing in new
production capacities that are in phase with an ever bigger demand.”
“This increase in demand remains dependent on the political will to
develop this market at the national level,” it cautions. “In
Germany, the purchase price guaranteed until 2007 should make it
possible to continue to maintain installations at a very high level
and, taking the investments made by the German industry into
consideration, it is more and more probable that an incentive system
will be renewed after this.”
The Italian decision is good news and the situation in Spain is also
very favourable, while France should become more comfortable in 2006
if the increase in the price of modules caused by the silicon
shortage does not delay development of this market.
The barometer predicts that 6,000 MW will be installed by 2010,
based on the German market conserving its capacity at 600 MW a year
and on the goals for Italy and Spain being achieved. EPIA estimates
that, if policies to support solar PV continue, the EU could reach
7000 MW by the end of this decade.
“Photovoltaic market evolution will therefore continue to be
dependent upon political / policy decisions in the years to come
but, to justify this support, the sector industrialists shall have
to show their ability to reduce production costs,” it adds. “The
objective is to come as close as possible to the cost of a fossil
kilowatt-hour and that’s a price that’s constantly increasing.”
EurObserv’ER groups the Eurec Agency, Erec, Jozef Stefan Institute
and Eufores to produce regular technology analyses, with financial
support of Ademe and DG Tren programs in Europe.
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