The Developing History of Global Solar Photovoltaic Market
As more and more Countries pay attention to the development of solar energy, solar photovoltaic market has got rapid development in the world in recent years.
1. The History and Current of Solar Photovoltaic Development.
The PV development technology can date back to 1839 when a French scientist, E.Becquerel found the photovoltaic effect (PV phenomenon). The large-scale commercial application of Photovoltaic generation should date back to 2004 when Germany started to publish the policy of photovoltaic subsidy. Since 2004, the development history of solar PV industry can be divided as below four processes.
1) Start Period.
From 2004 to 2011, Germany is the first to publish government subsidy policy, thereafter, other Countries started to publish their subsidy policy, which has pushed large-scale commercialization of solar photovoltaic, to accelerate PV generation getting scale and technical through, it makes the cost of PV generation to compete with traditional energy.
2) Adjustment Period.
From 2011 to 2013, Countries of Europe started to largely reduce and cancel governments’ subsidies, the dramatic decrease of PV investment return led to demand reduction. At the same time, the industrial blind expansion and European debt crisis also aggravated the unbalance of supply and demand.
3) Gestation Period.
From 2013 to 2015, Solar PV industry has passed survival of the fittest, the system cost of solar photovoltaic continued to dramatically decrease, the return of solar PV investment recover to get balance, more Countries joined the ranks to support PV generation, the enterprises which have advantages for technology R&D and Scale production started to emerge.
4) Rapid Developing Period.
From 2015 to Current, In subscription of “The Paris Agreement”, the world Countries pay more attention to renewable energy, at the same time, the improvement of PV technology push cost of PV generation to continue decrease, some Countries or Areas can realize Grid Parity, solar PV generation is entering the rapid developing period when it can compete with traditional energy.
Since 2004, Germany took the first to publish renewable policy, these Countries, Spanish, Italy and Japan, etc started to greatly support solar PV generation, solar PV industry showed the state of strong development, most of PV Companies expand their production capacity, global PV installation volume presented the rapid developing trend. After 2011, European Countries adjusted their Governments’ subsidy policies, to reduce Governments’ subsidies, the solar PV market started to shrink, the former expansive production capacity presented severe excess capacity, which has led to global PV industrial unbalance of supply and demand. European debt crisis aggravated the market fluctuation, most of PV companies started to stop production, even bankrupted, solar PV industry entered into survival of fittest period, this period has arisen the market widely attention and introspection, which is also the reason that some people still hold the negative impression to PV industry. But after all, solar energy is one of abundant renewable energies which can be exploited by human being, after industrial adjustment and survival of fittest period, leading Companies sustain to improve production technology, to push the cost of PV generation continuously reduction. Since 2013, China has published some policies to improve PV industrial prices and competition system, to guarantee market well operation. United States, India and the Asian-Pacific region also published their policies to support. Global PV industry gradually passed adjustment period, the supply and demand recover to balance.
2. General Situation of Global Solar Photovoltaic Market.
With a Series of Governments policies to support, solar PV generation is keeping fast developing since 2000, the scale of PV generation sustain to increase.
(Yearly Increase of Solar Installation Volume from 2000 to 2016 )
(Simulative Installation Volume of Global PV Generation from 2000 to 2016)
On 12th, December, 2015, “The Paris Agreement has passed in the meeting of the 21th global weather change, the representatives of 195 Countries and regions Joint Agreement has accelerated the renewable market scheme program. Most Countries and regions put forward development target for solar PV industry, to great support PV technology R&D and industrialization, global PV generation entered into large-scale developing period, Europe, Australia and other traditional market are keeping stable increase trend, the emerging market, such as India, South America and Southeast Asia were quick to start, Solar PV generation has got widely application in the world, solar PV industry gradually become important industry of most Countries. The global accumulative solar installation volume has increased from 1.3GW in 2000 to 306.5GW in 2016, yearly compound growth rate has reached 40.7%. Global solar installation volume presented obviously increase trend, yearly solar installation volume increased from 0.3GW in 2000 to 76.6GW in 2016, the yearly compound growth rate has reached 41.4%. The yearly newly increase global solar installation volume has increased 51.4% from 2015 to 2016, the market capacity continue to increase. China’s newly installation volume is 34.54GW which is the number one in the world, United States’ newly installation is 14.7GW which is the number two in the world in 2016. Since 2011, these Countries, United States, China and PAPC, their solar installation speed has surpassed the traditional European market.
Bingsolar Power, 20th, June, 2018
