10 Gigawatts Solar Power Installed Suspected

[anthroguy101]

Eric Wesoff of Green Tech Media reports on their projection that well over 10 gigawatts of solar cells will be installed in 2010.

In 2010, we will cross the threshold of 10 gigawatts of photovoltaic solar installed globally in a single year -- a record-setting and once-inconceivable number.

Rewind to ten years ago: the total amount of photovoltaics installed in the year 2000 was 170 megawatts. Since then, the solar photovoltaic industry has grown at a 51 percent annual growth rate, and 170 megawatts is now the size of a healthy utility installation or a small solar factory.

Contrast that with 200 gigawatts of wind installation this year. Wind continues to far surpass solar power due to lower costs.

Total new solar installations for 2010 will be around 11 gigawatts. By contrast, 7 gigawatts of solar was installed in 2009. This increase is partly driven by government policies around the world. But the rapid decline in solar photovoltaic (PV) module costs by about half from late 2008 till today also lowers the threshold for profitable solar projects.

Suntech Power VP Andrew Beebe says SunTech has a single manufacturing building in China which will have the capacity to produce 1 gigawatt of PV per year.

We have a building (that's one building!) in China that this year should be capable of cranking out one gigawatt of product per year. I think that's larger than the entire industry's capacity ten years ago.

Solar's got one big advantage over wind: electric power demand is strongest (and wholesale electric power spot market prices are highest) when the sun shines. Solar's output profile peaks earlier in the day than overall electric power demand. But solar's power output peak is much closer to peak demand than wind's night time output peak. Therefore solar doesn't have to be as cheap per kilowatt-hour to compete against wind.

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/007250.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Shouldn't that read "10 GW projected for installation?"

Or something equivalent that makes more sense?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I was trying to figure out what it was suspected of.

[Javaman]

7. it was suspected of absorbing sun rays!!!

look out it's going to blow!!

[Zenlitened]

3. 1.21 gigawatts? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott!

:)

Seriously, though... an "Apollo moonshot program" for "alternative energy research" is all well and good.

But production and installation of EXISTING technology RIGHT now is CRUCIAL!

:applause:

[Statistical]

4. Good news, horrible headline.

"In 2010 over 10GW of solar will be installed"
"2010 will mark first year that more than 10GW is installed".
"Solar installations hits 10GW milestone".

I am not sure what the 10GW is suspected of? Hopefully it has a good lawyer.

[Gravel Democrat]

5. handy list of the worlds largest solar electric installations

Large-scale photovoltaic power plants ranking 1 - 50

http://www.pvresources.com/en/top50pv.php


60 MW 85 GWh Spain,Olmedilla (Castilla-La Mancha)


54 MW 57 GWh Germany,Straßkirchen







Too bad no one talks much about our installations in the US. Anyway, 5 of the top 50
are in the US. What a shame.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

6. K&R

[Regret My New Name]

8. Oh great, now we're going to use up all the sun rays. Humans are stupid.

[apocalypsehow]

9. The headline could use some clarification. Or a good copy editor. n/t.

[anthroguy101]

10. Another link to a better article

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/_a/ims_research_says_solar_installations_could_reach_10gw_in_2010/

[Laelth]

11. Wind power blows. Solar is better. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth