Global PV markets

Grid connection and stability issues can be overcome to encompass a more electricity-intensive energy mix in Europe, with photovoltaics supplying up to 25% of that demand by 2030. The findings have been released in a report by EPIA on the first day of the EU PVSEC tradeshow, which began today in Frankfurt.

Renewables, led by photovoltaics, are the only options for energy price reductions in the future, says the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC). In addition to calculating how many GWs of photovoltaics could have been installed using past fossil fuel subsidies, its new report looks at investment in the sector, and emerging markets.

Rewards in the form of “strong” market gains await those photovoltaic module manufacturers that survive 2013, states NPD Solarbuzz. It adds that 2012 end-market demand for product is unlikely to reach 2011’s record levels. Overall, just under 30 GW of photovoltaic demand is predicted for 2012.

Austria’s government has unveiled a new Green Energy Act, under which feed-in tariffs for photovoltaic plants over 500 kWp have been removed. Meanwhile, a new support structure has been devised for building integrated and rooftop systems.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has unveiled a plan this week that sets the goal that 90% of its energy needs will be provided by renewable energy, by 2020. The key pillars to the plan are solar, wind and energy efficiency. The plan sets out 90 MW of large scale solar to be installed by 2020, and around 72 MW of small and medium scale rooftop photovoltaics.

At midnight, registration for Italy’s first photovoltaic register under the Conto Energia V expired. GSE is scheduled to publish the list of projects eligible for a feed-in tariff (FIT) in October.

The Bulgarian state regulator has introduced a retroactive renewable energy grid fee. Under the new rules, photovoltaic operators will have to pay back up to 39% of their feed-in tariffs (FITs). While the fee is supposed to be temporary, no deadline has been provided.

A new report, released today, has concluded that the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy plants will reach 79 GW by 2025, only 2 GW less than the predicted installed capacity of traditional thermal plants.

Only months after the new conservative government in the Australian state of Queensland slashed its FIT program, a proposal to pay “gross FITs” has been slammed by clean energy groups.

Despite only 5 of India’s solar Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) being traded when the solar offsetting mechanism started this May, consulting firm Bridge to India has predicted some 480 million RECs will be changing hands by 2016.