By Marc Roca - May 9, 2012 4:31 AM GMT+0530
Solar power became the most-installed energy source in Europe last year for the first time as subsidies drove investment to records, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association said.
Installations of photovoltaic panels in the region surged 63 percent to 21.9 gigawatts, surpassing all new wind and gas- fired power capacity combined, a report set to be presented today by the trade group shows. Wind and gas plants connected in 2011 amounted to about 9.5 gigawatts each, it said.
A floating photovoltaic panel system rotates automatically as it follows the sun on the surface of the lake of Colignola, a village near Pisa, Italy on January 11, 2012. The experiment is called "Floating, Tracking, Cooling, Concentration FCC" and is made of panels totaling 300 square-meters. Photographer: Fabio Muzzi/AFP/Getty Images
European countries installed 75 percent of global capacity, benefitting from lower panel prices and guaranteed premiums for the energy. As they have for the past decade, photovoltaic markets again grew faster than expected both in Europe and around the world, according to EPIA.
Global installations reached 29.7 gigawatts last year, compared to 16.8 gigawatts during 2010, the new report shows. Italy andGermany accounted for 60 percent of this market with 9.3 and 7.5 gigawatts, respectively.
These market shares are unsustainable, and such fast growth globally is set to slow as countries reduce subsidies, according to the Brussels-based association. While the industry is weathering a period of uncertainty, over the medium and long terms the prospects of continued growth are good, it said.
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