“Technology Roadmap: Solar Photovoltaic Energy – 2014 edition.” International Energy Agency (iea). Release date: Sept 2014. Web. 18 Apr 2015. Retrieved from iea
Usage
- Since 2010, the world has added more solar PV capacity that in the previous 4 decades. New system were installed in 2013 at a rate of 100 MW of capacity per day
- Germany and Italy have led large scale PV development in Europe and now other countries are expanding as well
- Since 2013 China has led the global PV market followed by Japan and then the US
Price
- System prices have been reduced by a factor of three in six years and module prices by a factor of five
- The roadmap envisions that PV’s share of global electricity will reach 16% by 2050 and PV will contribute 20% of all renewable energy
China
- In August 2014, the Chinese government announced that it would ban the use of coal in Beijing by the end of 2020
- In the first 6 months of 2014, China added 3.3 GW of solar capacity, double the additions over the same period in 2013
- That brings China’s total solar power supply up to 23 GW, second only to Germany’s 36 GW, and just 12 GW under the country’s goal of having 35 GW of solar installed by 2015
- China is expected to continue leading the global market, accounting for about 37% of global capacity by 2050
The Roadmap Forward
- Manufacturing of PV systems is concentrated in Asia, particularly in China and Chinese Taipei, based mainly on economies of scale. Future progress is likely to be driven first by technology innovation, keeping open the possibility of global deployment of manufacturing capabilities.
- Appropriate regulatory frameworks – and well-designed electricity markets, in particular – will be critical to achieve IEA findings. Market and regulatory frameworks that fail to provide robust long-term price signals are unlikely to deliver investments in volumes consistent with this roadmap.
Author: Hannah Goldstein
Editor: Kevin Jackson
Sources:
“Technology Roadmap: Solar Photovoltaic Energy – 2014 edition.” International Energy Agency (iea). Release date: Sept 2014. Web. 18 Apr 2014. http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/technology-roadmap-solar-photovoltaic-energy—2014-edition.html
Topf, Andrew. “Why China is Leading the World in Solar Power.” Oil Price.com. Alternative Energy: Solar Energy. 24 Aug 2014. Web. 19 Apr 2015. http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/Why-China-Is-Leading-The-World-In-Solar-Power.html