Photovoltaics are Becoming More Versatile

Solar companies are proving to be more innovative than ever.
The global demand for modules is rapidly increasing. However, the photovoltaic industry is growing even more quickly. In the battle for customers, companies are getting creative: They are developing more efficient cells, expanding their range of panels and optimising their systems. It is becoming more colourful on the rooftops.

The photovoltaics industry will suffer badly under the drastic reduction of solar subsidies in Germany. So much for that – at the Intersolar in Munich, the companies all exhibited in great moods. Even newcomers were confident, squeezed in with their bulky stands between the exhibition palaces of the top dogs. Photovoltaics are booming despite the crisis: 7203 megawatts (MW) of solar power capacity was installed last year throughout the world, according to the European solar industry association Epia – 20 percent more than 2008. And Epia is forecasting a virtual doubling of the expansion up to 12715 MW for the year 2010. But leaning back and enjoying the success is not the done thing for the solar industry. The range of modules is increasing faster than the demand and this increases the competitive pressure. The companies are pressing ahead: They are improving the efficiency of their cells and modules, reducing costs, increasing their product diversity.