Solar Power Shone Bright for Europe in 2009

Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland), reports that the world may be in the grip of a global economic depression, but 2009 was the best year yet for solar-generated power in Europe.

The latest figures from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) (Brussels, Belgium) show that global solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity rose to more than 20 gigawatts (GW) last year, a jump of 6.4 GW. For 2010, cumulative installed PV capacity is expected to rise 40 percent, with annual growth expected to rise a more modest 15 percent.

Germany remained the largest market for solar power in 2009, followed by Italy, Japan and the United States. Germany now has a total capacity of almost 9 GW, one-third of which was installed in 2009. Despite cutting its feed-in tariffs for solar power in 2010, the country is expected to remain in the No. 1 spot for 2010.

Italy, with 700 megawatts (MW) of installed solar PV capacity, ranked second in 2009, and the EPIA expects the country to remain in a prominent position because of its favorable solar incentives. Italy was recently picked to host Europe's largest solar PV plant, following a deal between the Italian government and SunEdison LLC (Beltsville, Maryland). SunEdison plans to build a 72-MW facility near the town of Rovigo in northeast Italy.

"In addition to the ramp-up of many markets in Europe, the development and opening of new markets in Asia, the Americas and Africa is paving the way to a strong and sustainable momentum of PV-powered supply solutions all around the world," said Ingmar Wilhelm, president of EPIA.

The impact of Spain's 2008 market cap on new solar installations was evident in the latest figures, with new installations plummeting to only 60 MW in the country in 2009. Despite this, solar power now accounts for about 3 percent of the country's electricity. Earlier this week, Spanish system integrator Assyce Fotovoltaica (Granada, Spain) announced that it has received permission to build the largest First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) (Tempe, AZ) free-field solar power farm in Spain. Located in Extremadura, it will cover 69 hectares and have the capacity to generate more than 26 MW during peak generation.

"The area offers very good conditions for photovoltaics," explained Luis Garrido, managing director of Assyce Fotovoltaica. "Due to the high level of solar radiation in the south of Spain, we can expect a very good yield of electricity." Construction began in January this year and will be completed by the end of the year. When commissioned, the facility will generate enough electricity for about 14,000 homes.

Solar power installations rocketed in the Czech Republic in 2009 to 411 MW, thanks to generous support schemes, but with these schemes being scaled down, growth is expected to fall significantly by 2011. Belgium entered the top-10 list for the first time in 2009, with 292 MW installed, while France followed with 185 MW installed in 2009. France also has an additional 100 MW installed that is not yet connected to the grid. The EPIA stressed that for the solar market to really grow, France needs to urgently address its grid-connection issues.

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