Photovoltaic market growth 2010 statistics

Germany is still the largest photovoltaic market in the world, and photovoltaics are still one of the fastest growing renewable energy sectors. Worldwide photovoltaic installations were expected to rise to 14.2 GW by the end of 2010, but as it turns out this number will likely be around 15,8 GW at the end of 2010.

At the end of the 2009 the total worldwide installed photovoltaic capacity was at 7,2 GW, which means that year 2010 will represent a staggering growth of 119 percent compared to 2009.

The main reason for such tremendous growth was Germany, mostly because German photovoltaic sector grew exceptionally well during the first half of the 2010, when Germany alone installed around 3,9 GW of photovoltaics.

In 2011 things should slow down, and the latest predictions forecast 19.3GW in the beginning of 2011, which is slightly down from previous forecasts that predicted 20,2 GW of photovoltaic installations.

Many energy experts are saying that this slowdown will be actually good thing because it will drive down prices of solar panels, and stimulate bigger demand in the second half of the year. The slowdown in first quarter of the year is actually very common thing for global photovoltaic market, and 2011 will just be following the trend.

Energy analysts predict that this slowdown will cause the decrease of average price for crystalline solar module by around nine percent in the first quarter of 2011, and further six percent in the second quarter.

At the end of 2011 Germany should add 9.4GW of new photovoltaic installations. However, Germany despite being the world's largest photovoltaic market isn't also a world's fastest growing photovoltaic market. UK is currently the fastest growing photovoltaic market in the world, with a total increase of massive 1500% compared to 2009. In 2009, UK had just 6 Megawatts (MW) of PV systems, and this number is expected to grow to 96 MW by the end of 2010.

US solar energy statistics

United States has experienced rapid growth of solar power industry in the last couple of years but still solar power accounts for less than 1 percent of United States electricity use.

The largest solar power installation in United States (and also in the world) is the Solar Energy Generating Systems facility in California, with a total capacity of 354 megawatts (MW).

Solar power is very popular renewable energy option in US with 75% of Americans wanting to see more solar power plants developed on public lands.

In 2009, US solar energy industry experienced growth of 37%.

In 2009, domestic manufacturing of solar power technologies in US increased by 7%.

California leads the way in installed solar capacity in US with 1,102 MW. The second ranked is the state of New Jersey that is far behind with 128 MW.

If we look at the watts per capita numbers we can see that Nevada is the nation's leader with 37.8 watts per capita of solar capacity, followed by California with 29,8, and Hawaii with 20,9.

At the end of 2009 the total installed solar power capacity in US was enough to supply more than 350,000 US homes.

In 2009, solar energy industry accounted for more than 17,000 new green jobs in United States.

US currently produces less than 5% of world's solar cells.

By the year 2020, given current trend of growth and government's support, US solar power industry should account for more than 200,000 new green jobs.

The United States is currently the third largest photovoltaic market, behind Germany and Italy.

California solar energy statistics

California is the longtime nation leader in installed solar power capacity, at the end of 2009, California had an installed cumulative solar power capacity of 1,102 megawatts, 10 times more than second ranked New Jersey.

In 2008 California installed 158 MW of solar photovoltaics, more than doubling 2007 amount of 78 MW.

In 2009, California installed 200 megawatts of solar capacity, almost four times the amount of New Jersey, the second ranked US solar state.

Solar energy sector in 2009 added more than 5000 renewable energy jobs in California. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people are employed by solar energy industry in California.

California has the world's largest solar power plant, the 354 MW SEGS thermal power plant.

It has been calculated that California has total solar power potential to install almost 17 million MW of solar power capacity.

California currently has little less than 70,000 solar energy projects.

California is currently on the right track to achieve its goal in installing 3,000 MW of photovoltaics (PV) by 2016.

In the first three quarters of 2009 California installed 250 MW of solar PV.

If current solar power growth trend continues, California will by 2017 reach its million solar roofs goal.

Global solar energy statistics

Scientists have estimated that the total solar energy absorbed by our planet is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year.

Solar energy has enormous potential, and covering only 4% of the world's deserts with solar panels would be enough to supply all of the world's electricity.

Top three solar power producing countries in the world in 2009 were Spain, Germany and United States.

Solar power, despite having an enormous potential, accounted in 2008 for less than 0.02% of the world's total energy supply.

Last ten years were very productive for solar power industry with photovoltaic production growth averaging 40% per year since 2000, with total installed capacity of 14.73 GW in 2008.

Global installed solar photovoltaic power capacity grew by 44 percent in 2009, despite the financial crisis, adding record 6.4 gigawatts of new capacity in 2009.

Solar energy (at the beginning of the 2010) had the average price of 18 cents per kilowatt hour, approximately three times more expensive than the price of coal and natural gas.

Solar energy currently provides only about 0.5 percent of globally installed electricity capacity.

An average photovoltaic cell has an efficiency of only 15%. Solar heaters have efficiency of 60%.

World's biggest solar energy project is $555.3 billion Desertec project with a goal to turn Sahara's vast sunlight into enough electricity to supply 15 percent of Europe's energy demand.

Global solar energy demand has grown at about 30% per year over the past 15 years.

Photovoltaic production has been growing by more than 20 percent each year since 2002.

Germany, Japan and US represented little less than 89% of the total worldwide PV installed capacity in 2009.