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Worldwide Solar Power Generation Growing Fast

Posted: 05/09/2006

According to speakers at the 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Dresden, world wide solar power generation is expected to increase by 25 per cent this year. In 2005, worldwide turnover in the sector was 5.8 billion euros (7.4 billion dollars), according to Heinz Ossenbrink, head of the Renewable Energy Department of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability at the EU Research Centre in Ispra, near Milan.

He told the conference that drastic increases in oil prices and the growing awareness of business, politics and consumers of the limited availability of fossil fuels has given the photovoltaics sector a big boost. However despite this only a fraction of 1 per cent of the world's energy demand is currently supplied by solar power.

Germany is still the world leader in the field, generating enough power from the sun's rays to meet the needs of 590,000 households, according to the Solar Energy Association BSW. Last week, a photovoltaic power plant, billed by its operators as the world's biggest, came on line in the southern German state of Bavaria. More than 1,400 movable solar modules collect the sun's rays and harness them into energy for around 3,500 homes.

Germany accounts for 60 per cent of the world market in solar energy, with some 5,000 firms exporting one-quarter of their products in growing industry that currently employs 45,000. BSW managing director Carten Koernig said countries like Greece, Italy and Spain were following the example of Germany's Renewable Energy Act that offers financial incentives for solar energy fed into the national grid.

Last year german residents invested 3.7 billion euros in solar energy, but despite this solar systems still only supply less than 1 per cent of the country's energy needs. However, the figure is expected to grow to more than 5 per cent by 2020, according to the BSW.

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