Solar panels could meet large share of world energy needs: study

London (Platts) -- Sept 1, 2008

Solar photovoltaic panels could supply electricity to more than 4 billionpeople worldwide by 2030 and could meet all of Europe's energy requirements,while occupying less than 1% of European lands, a study issued Monday byGreenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association concludes.

"Solar Generation 2008" said the PV industry is growing and has showed itcan become a global energy contributor. More than 1.8 million MW of PV arrayswill be installed around the world by 2030, equal to 14% of global electricitydemand, according to the analysis. This would reduce CO2 emissions by 1.6billion metric tons, equal to the carbon releases from 450 coal-fired plants,Greenpeace and EPIA said...

In Europe, "solar energy is becoming more economically viable and shouldbecome cost-competitive with conventional energy by 2015 in southern Europeancountries and by 2020 across most of Europe," according to the study. It citedestimates that power from PV could satisfy all of Europe's electricity needswhile taking up just 0.7% of its land mass.

Though PV is typically associated with rooftop solar panels,grid-connected PV plants of 1 MW or more now represent about 10% of theEuropean PV market, the analysis found.

Greenpeace and EPIA credit the feed-in tariff mechanism used in many EUcountries, including Germany and Spain, with boosting PV use. A feed-intariff, which guarantee payments for electicity generated from PV and otherrenewable sources, "provides fair remuneration to the investor, and rewardsthe effort made in investing in a clean energy source," the study said.

EU policy-makers are slated to approve a final renewable energy directivethis fall that "is expected to reinforce the current legal framework and couldfacilitate the implementation of the feed-in tariff scheme throughout Europe,"it said.

(via. platts)