PV installation pace to slow in the EU as support wanes

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The EU connected over 16.5 GW of new PV capacity in 2012 – down sharply from 22 GW in 2011 – bringing the region’s total installed PV capacity to 68.6 GW as of the end of last year. Global installed PV capacity, meanwhile, topped 101 GW.

According to the EurObserv’ER Baromoter, which is supported by the European Commission, Germany (7,604 MW) and Italy (3,577 MW) accounted for more than two thirds of all PV capacity installed in the EU last year. Last year’s other strong markets include France (1,079 MW), Greece (912 MW), Bulgaria (721 MW), the UK (679 MW) and Belgium (599 MW).

In terms of cumulative installed grid-connected PV capacity, Germany and Italy, of course, lead Europe with 32.6 and 16.3 GW, respectively, as of the end of last year. Spain (4,492 MW), France (4,003 MW), Belgium (2,650 MW), the Czech Republic (2,022 MW), the UK (1,655 MW) and Greece (1,536 MW) also had more than 1 GW of installed PV capacity as of Dec. 31, 2013.

Solar now covers more than 2% of EU electricity consumption. (...) [However,] public opinion and European governments are becoming increasingly reluctant to make further investments in PV as the payoffs, economic growth and employment, have not materialized as expected. In the short term, this will inevitably lead to a slower installation pace in many European markets. While PV development in the EU will slacken this year, development in China, the US and Japan is expected to take off. China will replace Germany as the world’s top solar market this year. In the coming years, EurObserv’ER predicts, India, South America and Africa will power future growth.