With at least 38.4 gigawatts (GW) of newly-installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity worldwide and a global cumulative installed capacity of 138.9 GW, 2013 was another historic year for solar PV technology.
EPIA’s flagship report assesses global and European PV markets in 2013, makes forecasts for the next five years, and analyses the role of PV within the European energy sector.
With at least 38.4 gigawatts (GW) of newly-installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity worldwide and a global cumulative installed capacity of 138.9 GW, 2013 was another historic year for solar PV technology. EPIA’s flagship report assesses global and European PV markets in 2013, makes forecasts for the next five years, and analyses the role of PV within the European energy sector.
Munich, 02 June 2014 – The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) released today its new report “Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018”. Compared to the two previous years, where global installed capacity hovered slightly above 30 GW annually, the PV market progressed remarkably in 2013, reaching a new record-level. Nevertheless, for the first time since 2003, Europe, with a very high and stable level of nearly 11 GW connected to the grid in 2013, lost its leadership to Asia. PV markets have become global!
EPIA’s major findings for 2013 include:
At least 38.4 GW of PV systems were installed globally in 2013, up from 30 GW in 2012
Almost 11 GW of PV capacity were installed in Europe in 2013, compared to 17.7 GW in 2012
China (11.8 GW) was the top market in 2013, followed by Japan (6.9 GW) and the USA (4.8 GW)
Germany was the top European market with 3.3 GW. Several other European markets exceeded the one GW mark: the UK (1.5 GW), Italy (1.4 GW), Romania (1.1 GW) and Greece (1.04 GW)
PV now covers 3% of the electricity demand and 6% of the peak electricity demand in Europe
Several European markets that performed well in the past went down in 2013: Belgium (215 MW), France (613 MW) and Denmark (200 MW)
Outside Europe, several markets continued to grow at a reasonable pace, including India (1,115 MW), Korea (442 MW), Thailand (317 MW) and Canada (444 MW)
EPIA forecasts indicate that the globalisation trend of PV markets observed in 2013 will continue and further accentuate in the coming years. “The forecast for Europe in the next years should, however, be put into perspective and be considered as a stabilisation towards a solid level, around 10 GW a year,” stated Oliver Schäfer, EPIA President, during the launch of the report at the Intersolar Europe Opening Session. “Europe’s situation at the end of last year shows that PV, as any other energy business, remains policy-driven. A series of retrospective measures were implemented in the last years in various European countries, leading to the sharp market decrease observed in 2013. Sustainable, predictable and dynamic framework conditions and policies are needed in Europe and globally to provide enough visibility to investors,” he added.
For the third year in a row, PV in 2013 was amongst the two most installed sources of electricity in the EU. “PV is becoming a major part of the electricity system all over the globe, changing the way our world is powered. Policymakers and energy stakeholders should now understand that electricity grids and markets need to be adapted to fit these new realities and facilitate a cost-efficient energy transition,” concluded Mr. Schäfer.
Journalists attending Intersolar Europe are welcome to join our Press Conference on Monday 02 June at noon, room 11, ICM, where the EPIA President will answer questions on the findings of the “Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018”.
EPIA – the European Photovoltaic Industry Association – is the voice of photovoltaics in Europe, with Members active along the whole solar PV value chain and in neighbouring business sectors. EPIA’s mission is to promote PV electricity in the European market and to give its global membership a strong and unique voice towards European decision makers.
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