Photovoltaics world markets

Single-crystal silicon, solar-cell modules presently cost 5-10 per peak watt (Wp), and the world market for 1983 is estimated to be 18 - 20 MWP. By 1990, the annual sales for photovoltaic modules may be greater than 1 billion (Brandhorst et al., 1982). 

The world net electricity generation has been estimated to increase 77% from 18 trillion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2006 to 31.8 trillion kWh in 2030 with a value of 23.2 trillion kWh in 2015 >. On the other hand, the world market capacity of solar photovoltaic power systems escalated from 1.3 gigawatts (GW) in 2001 to 15.2 GW in 2008 for systems which have been installed. In particular, market installations reached a record high of 5.95 GW in 2008 corresponding to a growth of 110% from 2007. The contribuhon of solar energy to the world net electricity generation is estimated to be 6% by 2050. 

The solar photovoltaic market has been an area of high growth for the past nine years culminating in a 27% increase in 2005 when the world solar cell market was estimated to be worth around five billion dollars. The world s major solar cell producers include BP Solar, Deutsche Cell/SolarWorld, Isofoton, Kyocera, Mitsubishi Electric, Q-Cell, RWE Short, Sanyo, Sharp, Shell Solar and Suntech Power. It is significant that the world s major oil companies are heavily involved in solar power. In a recent statement Norm Taffe, the Executive Vice-President of the Consumer and Computation Division of Suntech Power s Cypress Semiconductor parent company, predicted that solar power could be competitive with mainstream electricity generation in five years time. 

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