Solar PV Report Ed 5 2007

Solar PV Report Ed 5 2007

This is the 5th edition of the ABS SVP Solar Photovoltaic Report. The report provides data up to the end of 2006 and available information for 2007. The solar PV market continued to grow, both in installed capacity and production although it was held back by a worldwide shortage of solar grade silicon. Opinions differ within the industry as to the future duration of this shortage and these are discussed. 2006 and 2007 have been significant for the entry of an important new player in the global market, China. Chinese solar PV companies have developed very fast and a number have conducted IPOs in China and other countries. A mushrooming production capacity for solar cells and modules has been accompanied by growing production and re-cycling of silicon. Domestic demand in China has not kept pace and it is an export orientated industry to date. Germany, Japan and the USA remain the global leaders, but new countries are entering the market and the industry is spreading beyond its historical areas. These impressive developments have been accompanied by some uncertainty due to the breakdown in the statistical recording system in Germany, the largest market with half the world's installed capacity.