EU Solar Market Catching Fire

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.energycentral.com/centers/energybiz/ebi_detail.cfm?id=547

EU Solar Market Catching Fire

August 8, 2008
Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider
Editor-in-Chief

Europe's solar energy market may catch fire. Government subsidies there are playing a big part, all in an effort to help the continent reach its goal of increasing its renewable generation mix from 8 percent today to 20 percent by 2020.

The ultimate aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions tied to global warming. The European Union (EU) is a global leader and as such the member nations enacted incentive programs to achieve their desired results. It all bodes well for solar power. Growing demand, in fact, has helped reduce production costs through the advancement of solar-cell designs and manufacturing processes.

According to consulting firm Emerging Energy Research, Germany now accounts for roughly half of all the installed solar capacity in the world. Within the EU, it is followed by Spain. The countries make up 92 percent of the continent's installed photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity of about 1,500 megawatts. Italy, Greece, France and Portugal are expected to produce the lion's share of PV projects in the coming years. But the establishment of subsidized programs in other markets that include the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Switzerland has set off a off a wave of PV expansion.

"The European solar PV market is becoming increasingly fragmented across the value chain from manufacturers to project owners with installers and developers operating in the continuum" says the firm's senior analyst Reese Tisdale. Emerging PV-based power producers range from renewable energy utilities to specialized solar PV plant owners looking to gain market share. They include German developers Conergy, City Solar and Phoenix Solar as well as such as utilities as Electricite de France, Iberdrola, Electrabel and Enel.

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[Eurobabe]

1. We're going geothermal

but house is going to be wired for solar collector panels, right now they are just not cost-efficient yet, they cost too much and use too much energy to produce. As they improve, we'll put them up and go off the grid completely. :bounce:

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Start-up: Affordable solar power possible in a year

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2008-04-28-solar-power-sunrgi_N.htm

Start-up: Affordable solar power possible in a year

Updated 4/29/2008 1:48 AM

By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
A Silicon Valley start-up says it has developed technology that can deliver solar power in about a year at prices competitive with coal-fired electricity, a milestone that would leapfrog other more established players and turbocharge the fast-growing industry.

SUNRGI's "concentrated photovoltaic" system relies on lenses to magnify sunlight 2,000 times, letting it produce as much electricity as standard panels with a far smaller system. Craig Goodman, head of the National Energy Marketers Association, is expected to announce the breakthrough Tuesday.

Under its plans, which experts call promising but highly ambitious, SUNRGI would initially target utilities and large industrial and commercial customers. The company — founded by veterans of computer, digital design, aerospace and solar industries — would market to homes within three years.

Executives of the year-old company say they'll start producing solar panels by mid-2009 that will generate electricity for about 7 cents a kilowatt hour, including installation. That's roughly the price of cheap coal-fired electricity. "We're bringing the cost of solar electricity down to be competitive with" fossil fuels, says Bob Block, a co-founder of SUNRGI.



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[Eurobabe]

3. cool, thanks for that!

:hi:

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. You're welcome. Lots of exciting stuff happening

Like http://www.nanosolar.com/">Nanosolar!

[DCKit]

6. You know I have great respect for you, but I've been hearing "tomorrow" for thirty years.

I guess that's why I knew the whole Iraq thing was a bunch of hooey - Always "turning the corner", "in and out, just like a duck" and "it won't cost the American taxpayer a dime."

However, solar electric is already "affordable" if you're willing to wait for 20 years for the ROI - and that's assuming electric utility rates don't rise. Hah! Baltimore Gas and Electric, one of our local suppliers, was talking about a 72% increase *last* year.

If anything, deregulation is going to drive solar capacity to the moon.

[Eurobabe]

5. Ww won't need solar panels because our geothermal

system is so efficient that we can even get our hot water from the circulator. It does have a small flash heater that uses minimal electricity to heat the water for showering, etc. BUT, we are hooking up cables, wiring for the PV panels, (I am just learning more about solar panels) they are very popular overseas. The govt. gives huge grants to encourage people to install them on their houses, on barns, warehouses, public buildings etc. The kind of panels that allow you to store electricity and sell back to the grid are still not quite cost-efficient yet. Soon. :D