PV sector is the renewable energy business with the most significant investment activity

Germany, Spain, Italy, France show constant growth in photovoltaic investments

The PV sector is the renewable energy business with the most significant investment activity today. Spain appears to represent the challenges of unsustainable development, with a growth surpassing 300% in 2007. This is one of the conclusions of the 2nd International Conference on Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Investments, in Frankfurt.

Organized by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, the conference brought together almost 300 participants to the conference in Frankfurt. During the event experts illustrated latest market up-dates that showed Germany and Spain; Italy and France show constant growth; Greece was expected to boom very soon. In turn, grid connected systems will cover a large part of this market with Germany, US, and Spain leading this development. Experts from each national key country provided a good insight on current and future leading markets in Europe. In Germany, market actors are awaiting the revision of the feed-in tariff (FiT) digression rate that will likely happen in the summer of 2008 and that will become effective from 2009. The current draft foresees a decrease from over 9% in FiT for 2009 reduced to a 7% digression in 2010 and an 8% from 2011 on. Germany has consolidated its position of market leader, reaching an annual installed capacity of 1100MW in 2007. Spain appears to represent the challenges of unsustainable development, with a growth surpassing 300% in 2007. The current legislation in place forces market participants to rush projects now instead of ensuring long term sustainable growth. The ?solar rush? that Spain is experiencing is largely due to the uncertainty which exists today on future legislative developments. Spain is expecting a revision of the current decree that determines the Feed-In-Tariff for electricity generated with a PV power plant; this revision will probably only take place in September 2008 after a new government has been elected.

By: www.energetica21.com

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