100 GW of Solar PV Now Installed in the World Today

Renewable Energy News Article
Cumulative global installed [grid connected] solar PV capacity has topped the 100-gigawatt (GW) milestone, according to preliminary numbers from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). (...) Europe's 69 GW of total installed capacity is enough to produce roughly 2.6% of the region's electricity demand this year, and about 5.2% of peak electricity demand, according to the EPIA.
There's another important milestone in the EPIA's tally of solar PV. Countries outside of Europe connected 13 GW, up from 8 GW in 2011 and just 3 GW in 2010; at the same time Europe's PV installations fell from 23 GW in 2011 to 17 GW in 2012, its first decline since 2006. (...) Eight nations added at least a gigawatt of grid-connected capacity in 2012: Germany, China, Italy, the U.S., Japan, France, the U.K., and India. Thirteen nations (up from 8 in 2011) are in the gigawatt-club of cumulative solar installations: Germany, Italy, the U.S., China, Japan, Spain, France, Belgium, Australia, the Czech Republic, the U.K., Greece, and India.

 

United States Challenges India’s Restrictions on U.S. Solar Exports

EQ International
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced today that the United States has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with the Government of India concerning domestic content requirements in India’s national solar program. India’s program appears to discriminate against U.S. solar equipment by requiring solar energy producers to use Indian-manufactured solar cells and modules and by offering subsidies to those developers for using domestic equipment instead of imports. These forced localization requirements of India’s national solar program restrict India’s market to U.S. imports.

India starts anti-dumping investigation, China considers making proposed import duties retroactive

India’s Department of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping investigation into silicon and thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cells imported from the US, China, Taiwan and Malaysia. The investigation seeks to determine whether foreign manufacturers have engaged in unfair trade practices that have materially damaged the Indian solar industry. The period of investigation runs from Jan. 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, while the injury period goes back to April 1, 2008.
The investigation was opened in response to a complaint filed by the Solar Manufacturer’s Association, which represents solar producers Indosolar Ltd., Jupiter Solar Power Ltd. and Websol Energy Systems Ltd. Indian producers have long complained that solar imports – mainly those from the US – are negatively impacting India’s local PV industry. To combat this trend, India’s national solar program includes a domestic content requirement for crystalline silicon products. The requirement, however, has not been as successful as was planned since it does not apply to thin-film installations.
In a similar development, earlier this week, China’s Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) launched a supplementary investigation to determine whether anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on solar-grade polysilicon imported from the US, South Korea and the EU should be levied retroactively. Mofcom will issue its ruling on the probe when it publishes the results of the associated anti-dumping and countervailing investigations next year. The original investigation into polysilicon imports from the EU was launched earlier this month, while the US-Korea investigation was launched in July. The original investigations will each last at least one year.

http://commerce.nic.in/writereaddata/traderemedies/adint_Solar_Cells_Malaysia_ChinaPR_Chinese_Taipei_USA%20Taipei%20and%20USA..pdf

http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/ae/ai/201211/20121108453399.html