The market of solar panel to pick up in 2010
Now we know that solar energy (solar power) panel sales were up 48% to 5.6GW in 2008, but nowadays global economic crisis will result in newly installed solar capacity reaching only 7.1GW in 2009, equivalent to a global growth rate of 26 per cent, before the strong growth resumes in 2010.
This information is according to market research firm The Information Network, which added that production of those solar panels is predominantly done in Asia. In 2008 3.3GW or 60 per cent was produced in Asia, and 1.5GW produced in Europe, and just 750MW produced in the United States.
However, while production has grown, the downturn has affected the take up of alternative energy (green energy, renewable energy) and manufacturing capacity utilisation is below 50 per cent, and similar to the semiconductor-for-IT industry.
Similarly polysilicon, which was in shortage for many years, is now in oversupply pushing prices of crystalline wafers below about US$5.00 which is impacting the sales of much lower efficiency amorphous silicon panels.
But the market of solar panel is expected to pick up again in 2010, growing 48 per cent to 10.5GW of newly installed photovoltaic (PV) systems. And the thin-film solar sector, which includes amorphous silicon, CdTe and CIGS, will represent less than 20 per cent of the market in 2010. Plagued by low optical conversion efficiencies, in the region of 7 to 12 percent, this sector is still compensated by low manufacturing costs, the research firm said.
Robert Castellano, who is president of the Information Network, called for the U.S. government to stimulate the formation of solar power (solar energy) manufacturing jobs in the United States.
"While the use of renewable energy (green energy, alternative energy) is lauded, what's worse, buying solar panels from Europe and Asia or oil from OPEC?" Robert Castellano asked in a statement. "The Obama energy stimulus package must include ways to generate jobs here in the U.S. The alternative energy (green energy, renewable energy) programme in the U.S. needs an Energy Czar to enable job production, and I volunteer my services."
