Solar Industry –Entering new Dimensions: Comparison of Technologies, Markets and Industries

Over the past two years the solar industry has shown itself to be incredibly resilient to the general economic crisis. Supported by cost-cutting and efficiency improvements, the photovoltaics (PV) industry has managed to achieve a growth rate of 87%, or 13.8 GW, of newly installed capacity in 2010. However, individual companies are feeling the strong price and margin pressure, and the intensifying competition. At least eight new PV markets with a potential annual capacity of 500 MW are expected to be added over the next two years. The PV industry will therefore acquire the stability and political autonomy it needs to be able to continue to grow unimpeded and to enter new dimensions. Concentrating solar power (CSP) and thin-film PV modules are jostling for the most cost-efficient technology for large-scale solar energy production. At the moment thin-film PV technology is just ahead.