The IEA confirms that there are 2,600 Megawatts of PV solar energy worldwide by the end of 2004

Sunday, 29 January 2006

Due to the amount of small PV facilities all over the world, most of them domestic ones, it takes quite a long time to register all the data from the world market. Once 2006 has started the International Energy Agency (IEA) has confirmed the growth of 30% in the PV market along 2004 in the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development (OCED) countries. Overall, the OCED countries installed some 770.27 megawatts (out of which 719 MW were connected to the grid) during 2004, making a total capacity of 2,600 in the 16 countries studied. The world market was leaded by Germany, where 363 MW were installed during last year, to a total of 794 MW. However, Japan, which installed slightly less during 2004, with “only” 272 new megawatts, keeps on being the world’s largest PV energy producer, with an installed capacity of 1,132 MW.

The US was the third most active country, with 90 MW last year and a total capacity of 365 MW. Spain was the fourth largest with 10 MW last year, although the total amount installed in the country is still low with 37 megawatts, well behind cloudier countries such as Austria (totaling 52 MW) and Holland (49 MW).

In 2004, Germany invested 275 million euros in support programmes for the PV industry; 251 million were incentives for the industry and 24 million were used for research and development. The US was second in this indicator with 225 million euros (146 million in incentives, 70 million in R&D and 9 million in exemplary plants). Japan, third in this list, invested 174 million from which 84 million went to exemplary plants, 50 million to research and development, and 40 million to industry incentives.

For additional information:
www.oja-services.nl/iea-pvps/isr/01.htm

Tags: PV , Germany , Japan , Grid , International Energy Agency , Solar , Spain