PLACES THAT ATTRACT SUN

Solar indices at May 2011
May 2011 (Ernst & Young)

"…The US has surged ahead in the index, climbing two points after news that the market grew 67% from US$3.6b (€2.6b) in 2009 to US$6b (€4.3b) in 2010. The Department of Energy has fueled a lot of this by supporting manufacturers and developers [and the emergence of utility-scale solar power plants] with [loan guarantees]…

"…In early May, the Italian Government approved a new solar PV decree which will significantly reduce FITs from June 2011…[and] divide new PV plants into [small] and [large] sites…[0.2MW for building–integrated and 1MW for ground–mounted installations]… The decree is expected to slow new installations over next few years, and Italy has fallen two index places…As Germany’s solar industry matures, there are concerns around the ability of the grid to manage the intermittency caused by the increasing proportion of solar electricity being fed into it…"

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"…Australia has fallen two points as the Government plans to reduce the Flagship Solar Program by AU$250m (€183m), while it has also capped the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme which provides incentives for solar hot water systems…In March 2011, the French Government followed the trend across Europe and imposed solar FIT cuts. It also announced a 500MW annual cap on installations and 20% FIT cuts for projects below 100kW. Projects over 100kW will have to bid through a public tender. As a result France has dropped a point…

"…In March, the UK Government announced the results of its fast track FIT rates review, reducing tariffs by as much as 72% for projects up to 5MW from 1 August 2011, more bad news for a market that has already seen developers leave…The UK dropped three points as a result…Morocco shows the greatest solar potential of the new entrants. In December 2010, it selected four groups for the first phase of a 500MW solar thermal project, which represents part of the DESERTEC program. Political unrest in North Africa could stall development in the short term, but it is still planned to deliver 500MW capacity by 2015…"