A new report by the Photovoltaic Technology Research Advisory Council (PV-TRAC) reviews the current status of solar powered electricity and presents a vision of photovoltaic technology for 2030 and beyond. The report nicely summarizes the policies of EU member states that have encouraged solar powered distributed generation.
The table below pulled from the report shows Germany far out in front of other EU states. Germany has a goal of installing 1 GW of solar electric power by 2010 and has enacted generous tariffs to allow it to meet this aggressive goal. Germany’s “Renewable Energy Sources Act” (EEG) has resulted in a tenfold market increase in four years (from 13 MW in 1999 to 130 MW in 2003). With other countries expected to implement similar schemes in the coming years, growth of solar electricity in Europe is expected to be robust. The EU target for PV is to have 3 GW installed by 2010, and with ambitious, though realistic, growth figures, the installed capacity may increase to around 200 GW in the EU by 2030.
More
- Full Report: A Vision for Photovoltaic Technology – Photovoltaic Technology Research Advisory Council (PV-TRAC), 2005
- Full Text and Explanation of Germany’s Act on Granting Priority to Renewable Energy Sources (Renewable Energy Sources Act -EEG)
