Demand for solar panels falls dramatically in Europe

In 2010 were the solar panels manufacturers in Europe did not meet the demand. Consequently, the subsidies for solar panels of new companies in many countries also withdrawn. So there is more supply, but much less demand. The condition has led many companies are on the verge of bankruptcy.

The market for solar panels especially in Europe, given the very hard time in Germany and Italy as the two largest markets in the world. Those two countries had first large subsidies for those solar panels erected. However, these are eliminated which reduces demand, and that combined with a greater supply ensures a massive oversupply.

For those interested in solar panels all have a bright side. This year, the price of solar panels down over 35 percent. This brings the price of this type of green energy is already close to the energy generated from fossil fuels. It has also ensured that the United States is investing heavily in the 'cheap' solar panels.

General Electric has just been announced that the company's largest solar park in the U.S. will be build. The new park in the state of Colorado will have an annual capacity of 400 megawatts, good for about 80,000 homes with electricity. The total electricity provided by solar panels this year to reach 1.5 gigawatts.

Photovoltaics as an economic engine

The model used to "rescue" of Greece sounds. It is so simple because of the land of the Hellenes seem very often get the sun. So why not build more solar panels? With the help of nature, the debt could be pressed.

The Greeks can enjoy over 300 sunny days a year. And they also have enough space. Companies like Conergy use it. The German company from Hamburg is pulling up 200 kilometers west of Thessaloniki, a solar power plant. And the Greek Minister of Energy and Environment, Giorgos Papakonstantinou, wants to build in former lignite fields in northern Greece huge solar power systems.

Papakonstantinou recently presented "Helios" project. It is planned to increase annual production to the Greek in 2020 to 2.2 gigawatts and to ten gigawatts by 2050. Under the plan, Greece wants to sell its electricity profitably abroad.

Nevertheless, Greece has produced only 150 megawatts in 2010, almost 50 times less solar power than Germany. 2011 there are at least 300 megawatts. Could be up to the sun's energy into an export success, even it is still a long way. Critics complain that the electricity would be more expensive due to transportation will pass through the cost advantage is lost. And who should pay the billion-dollar expansion of the outdated power grid?

Solar thermal energy in a downturn

Solar panels already seemed firmly on German roofs have to be booked. As oil prices climbed in 2008 to over 140 dollars a barrel, the newly installed solar thermal capacity doubled to 1,400 megawatts. But with the boom it's over.n

The German solar thermal producers managed to double its 2008 sales to 2 billion €. Within months, the number of employees rose by 10,000 to 25,000. However, the conversion decreases with renewable heat continuously since fall 2008. While booming new oil and gas boilers in Germany, fell loudly Heating Association BDH dropped the demand for heat pumps from 2008 to 2010 by 20 percent, sales of wood boilers and solar thermal systems in the same period, even cut in half. Not a turnaround is in sight: in the first half of 2011 fell to assemble the solar panels compared to the same period by a further 2 percent.

Guilt is - next to the drop in oil prices now back - in the opinion of a failed industry promotion policy. "In truth, the federal government has no interest in solar thermal, because everything in Berlin revolves only around the Renewable Energy Act," said Werner Koldehoff, Board Member of the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW). This manifests itself in the solar thermal industry fatal decisions: instead of helping her with additional buying incentives from the crisis, was to promote even lowered. Only 1.7 billion euros in 2010, the Federal Government through its Market Incentive Program and the CO2 emissions from buildings are available, this year there are only 1.2 billion euros. That's not half as much as in 2009 and six times less than the € 7 billion, in 2011 - will be invested in photovoltaics - by levy on the electricity bill. It could be in the heating sector save the most CO2: Half of the total final energy demand (the part of primary energy that arrives after deducting transport and transformation losses to the consumer) is in this country used to generate heat, but only a quarter of electricity.