PV, CSP supply 4.3% of Spanish electricity generation in 2012

SolarServer
The Electricity Network of Spain (REE) reports that solar photovoltaic (PV) technology supplied 3.0% of electricity generated in the nation over the course of 2012, with an additional 1.3% supplied by concentrating solar power (CSP).
This is the highest percentage of CSP generation in any nation to date. Together, solar electric technologies supplied a total of 4.3% of Spanish electricity in 2012, second only to Germany and Italy.
When wind, renewable thermal, and hydroelectricity are added, renewable energy rises to almost 32% of Spain's generation in 2012, higher than either Germany or Italy.

Solar's Outlook Dazzles

RenewableEnergyWorld.com
At the end of last year, the global photovoltaic market hit a cumulative installed capacity of 40 GW, of which 16.6 GW was added during 2010. A year of unprecedented growth saw new capacity more than double from 7.2 GW in 2009. Worldwide, solar PV already produces some 50 TWh each year. By 2015, though, capacity could climb to range from 131 GW to 196 GW. (...) Germany continued to lead the PV market worldwide, with 7.4 GW installed over the year, while Italy added a substantial 2.3 GW. Other countries with significant growth included the Czech Republic, which saw a 1.5 GW expansion in 2010, a rise unlikely to be sustained in 2011. Japan gained 990 MW, the United States 900 MW, and France 700 MW. Spain regained some ground by installing 370 MW after two years of strongly adverse conditions. Belgium connected more than 420 MW of PV.

Eletricidade portuguesa mais barata do que na média da UE

Expresso.pt
O regulador português dos serviços energéticos diz que no primeiro semestre de 2010 os preços da eletricidade efectivamente pagos pelos consumidores domésticos portugueses (com impostos) ficaram 2,6% abaixo da média da União Europeia (UE-27), de acordo com dados do Eurostat.
Relativamente ao preços praticados em Espanha, a eletricidade vendida em Portugal registou preços 8,7% inferiores, segundo a mesma fonte.
Os consumidores domésticos portugueses pagaram no primeiro semestre de 2010 um preço médio global de €0,1694 por kWh, enquanto os espanhois paragam €0,1855 por kWh, refere o regulador português.

Espanha e produtores de energia solar próximos do acordo nos cortes de subsídios

Jornal de Negócios Online
O governo espanhol e os produtores de energia solar estão muito próximos de chegar a um acordo que visa a redução da atribuição de subsídios ao sector e o controlo dos preços da electricidade.
O executivo de Zapatero pretende reformar uma lei de 2007 que garante aos produtores de energia que cumpram determinados requisitos ambientais que pratiquem preços acima do valor de mercado, mas pretende fazê-lo sem danificar a indústria de energias renováveis do país. De acordo com um documento preparatório do acordo a que a Bloomberg teve acesso, o acordo prevê que os subsídios a fábricas de energia solar no activo sofrerão cortes de 10% a 15% nos próximos três anos, corte que será compensado com uma prorrogação do prazo de concessão de três anos.

Spain To Cut Photovoltaic Solar-Energy Subsidies
The Spanish government has decided to lower subsidies on existing photovoltaic solar-energy plants by 30% (...) The Industry Ministry plans to limit the production hours it subsidizes, so that when plants surpass this limit they will be remunerated at market rates (...) The government estimates the cut will save it EUR840 million.
For new photovoltaic solar plants, the government will cut subsidies by 45% for open-field units and by 25% for rooftop units.

Martifer instala 5MW em Toledo
Segundo o jornal económico Cinco Dias, "Martifer Solar ha conseguido inscribir en el Registro de Preasignación de Retribución del Ministerio de Industria una instalación de cinco megavatios (MW) en una cubierta industrial, de las más grandes realizadas en España en una misma ubicación, según datos de la empresa. (...) Las instalaciones están localizadas en Borox (Toledo), si bien el polígono industrial está ubicado dentro del área de influencia económica de la Comunidad de Madrid. Martifer Solar, filial española de la lusa Martifer, ha captado toda la energía que se puede evacuar en ese polígono industrial y ha llegado a un preacuerdo para que "cuando se pueda evacuar más energía a la red en próximas ampliaciones del polígono, puedan llevar a cabo más instalaciones".
Como la potencia máxima por instalación permitida en España es de dos megavatios para entrar dentro del registro, la empresa ha dividido la instalación en cuatro diferentes que llevan la energía hasta dos puntos del polígono donde vuelcan a la red."

Photon 2010 conference highlights

The traditional Siemens reactor process will continue to dominate the solar silicon supply sector [it now accounts for more than three-quarters total capacity], and costs are likely headed to less than $25 per kg within five years, (...) [S]upply, estimated at around 170,000 tons in 2010, will far outstrip demand.
[Regarding the inverters industry] the most important question was when the current scarcity, a situation that has existed since last fall, would subside. “At the end of 2010, supply could exceed demand again,” (...) [expecting] that delivery times for devices will drop to around 8 weeks towards the end of the year. Currently, installers have to wait more than 20 weeks to receive their orders, especially in the case of string inverters. (...) [The origin of the scarcity is due] to a temporary cooling of the market in the first half of 2009 – following the almost complete collapse of the Spanish market, and due to the fact that business in Germany only began to rebound in late spring

Spanish Solar-Panel Trade Group Calls for Fraud Investigation
A Spanish trade group called on authorities to investigate possible fraud among solar-power generators after a news report said that some were getting paid for producing power at night. (...) Preliminary evidence shows some solar stations may have run diesel-burning generators and sold the output as solar power, which earns several times more than electricity from fossil fuels, El Mundo said, citing unidentified people from the energy industry. The power grid received 4,500 megawatt-hours of power from midnight to 7 a.m. in the months audited, El Mundo said.

World solar PV market doubled to 5.95GW in 2008
World solar photovoltaic (PV) market installations reached a record high of 5.95 gigawatts (GW) in 2008, representing growth of 110% over the previous year, says the annual PV market report issued today by Solarbuzz LLC, a San Francisco-based solar energy consultancy. (...) Europe accounted for 82% of world demand. Spain's 285% growth pushed Germany into second place in the market ranking, while the US advanced to number three. Rapid growth in Korea made it the fourth largest market in 2008, closely followed by Italy and Japan. World solar cell production reached a consolidated figure of 6.85 GW in 2008, up from 3.44 GW a year earlier. China and Taiwan increased their share of global solar cell production to 44% in 2008, rising from 35% in 2007. Meanwhile, thin film production grew 123% to 0.89 GW. Polysilicon supply to the solar industry grew by 127% in megawatt terms, sufficient to substantially ease supply limitations in 2008.

Solar Fraud Could Eliminate Spanish Market
A government investigation has uncovered many incomplete projects that were reported as finished by a September deadline. Those projects could qualify for the new 500MW cap for 2009, blocking new project applications (...) The National Energy Commission, or CNE, began investigating these reports in late October (...) After checking 287 solar farms, investigators found that only 97 of the projects (roughly 44 percent) were legally completed by September.
(...)Spanish newspaper El Pais published a story on Dec. 7 about the government investigation, noting that six government workers resigned after evidence showed they gave solar energy development permits to relatives.

EDP congela projectos espanhóis de energia solar
A EDP congelou os três projectos de energia fotovoltaica que estavam previstos para Espanha, o maior dos quais contemplava, para uma potência instalada de cerca de 50 MW, um investimento de 200 milhões de euros, a realizar na região de Saragoça. Mas a eléctrica nacional não é a única a rever a sua estratégia. Apesar de garantir que os projectos actualmente em curso não estão em risco, a Martifer admite reajustar os seus objectivos para este mercado. Já a BP Solar ameaça, segundo a imprensa local, cancelar o investimento fotovoltaico em Espanha. O mesmo acontecendo com os alemães da Goldbeck Solar, especialistas em instalações de coberturas solares.

Spain eases plan to slash subsidy for solar power
Spain has decided to ease proposed sharp cuts in a generous subsidy scheme to solar power producers in one of the world's hottest markets, Energy Secretary Pedro Marin said on Tuesday.
Marin said the proposed limit on total capacity of new solar power panels entitled to subsidies in 2009 will be 500 megawatts, which compares to an earlier draft proposal to set the cap at 300 MW. (...) Industry groups say that the new cap is still too low, as it will be absorbed by an estimated 300-400 MW of ground-based plants that are already under construction, but will miss the deadline for the current subsidy scheme.

Spain expects 3,000 MW in solar plants by 2010
Spain's government said its new and less generous subsidy scheme, due to take effect shortly, foresees solar power plants reaching a capacity of 3,000 megawatts by 2010, or about double the present total. (...) [Industry Minister Miguel] Sebastian said the new subsidies would still be at least 25 percent above the highest rate recently set in Germany, which receives 20 percent less sunlight than Spain.