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The country is making steady progress on solar expansion – but there's still ground to cover. While current demand for PV systems remains modest, speakers at this year’s Swissolar conference outlined how that could soon change.
Now that spring is halfway through and temperatures are starting to rise, there is also a cautious optimism in the solar sector. There is a very slight recovery in prices and a pick-up in demand. The big question seems to be: how will demand react to real price increases? "Everyone is now used to low prices and will want to buy just before a price increase," says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "That can lead to chaos in another way."
Due to the continuously dropping prices of modules, much of the solar power sector is living exciting times. "We are again in a similar situation to how it was before covid," says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "Only now the industry is made up of 50 to 60 percent new people, who have never experienced this before."
The solar market in Europe is set for strong growth over the next five years. Forecasts predict 348 gigawatts of new capacity for the 27 EU countries and the UK. A new report analyses the private solar segment in these nine key European markets.
The two solar parks in western Poland will reach a total of 120 megawatts. But this should only be the beginning. IBC Solar has founded its own subsidiary in Poland in order to work off a lush project pipeline.
Economic growth in China slowed substantially. The solar energy sector is likewise also suffering from the problems that seem to be becoming increasingly structural, according to our guest author Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
Sharp has concluded a partnership with Solarland for industrial, commercial and residential solar systems. The goal is to expand their solar business for PV system installations on Fuerteventura as well as for distribution business across all of the Canary Islands.
The specialist solar wholesaler from northern Germany finished 2021 with strong growth - a plus of 60 per cent in solar modules alone. Now Managing Director Kai Lippert is preparing for the hype to continue - in all markets.
Solar is expected to reach another key milestone this year. Global installed solar generation capacity is expected to reach 1.1 terawatts in 2022, possibly as early as the spring of 2022.
Intersolar Europe welcomes plans for a solar industry acceleration package which was recently announced by Germany. Thanks to the goals set by the newly appointed German government to reach an installed PV capacity of 200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, Germany continues on its path to becoming the leading PV market in Europe.
In July the PV market grew also significantly stronger than last year, the Swedish solar industry association Svensk Solenergi reports.
The year 2020 showed an uptrend for photovoltaics in Austria and Switzerland. In addition to PV systems, a majority of PV installers also now offers storage- and electric mobility solutions.
