More on solar PV. Solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturers produced a record 10,700 megawatts of PV cells globally in 2009—an impressive 51-percent increase from the year before. While growth in 2009 slowed from the remarkable 89-percent expansion in 2008, it continued the rapid rise of an industry that first reached 1,000 megawatts of production in 2004.
By the end of 2009, nearly 23,000 megawatts of PV had been installed worldwide. China produced 3,800 megawatts of PV in 2009, leading all countries for the second straight year.
Together China and third place Taiwan accounted for 49 percent of all PV manufacturing, a share that should keep climbing as companies there grow larger and more quickly than competitors based in countries where operating costs are higher.
Rounding out the top five producers in 2009 were Japan in second place, Germany in fourth, and the United States in fifth. These traditional industry leaders have lost significant market share with the recent ascent of China and Taiwan. Indeed, Japan, which dominated the global market in 2004, controls just 14 percent today.
On the installation side, Germany installed a record 3,800 megawatts of PV in 2009, more than half the 7,200 megawatts added worldwide. This brought Germany's overall PV generating capacity to 9,800 megawatts, nearly three times as much as the next closest country, Spain.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment