Photovoltaics is today one of the sectors worldwide that has recorded the best growth performance in recent years. In the short term, forecasts are even rosier: by the end of 2012, in fact, an annual global production capacity of more than 80 GWp is expected. The main reasons for this growth lie in investments in the sector: in 2010 the funds allocated to renewable energies grew to the record figure of 243 billion dollars (94,4 billion dollars from Europe, 82,2 billion from Asia and Oceania and 65,8 billion from the Americas, for a total of 30% more than in 2009), and for the third year in a row solar attracted the largest amount of funds after wind power. This is what emerges from the tenth edition of the annual dossier of the Joint Research Center of the European Commission on the photovoltaic sector.
The study indicates solar energy as one of the key sectors to achieve the goal of a "carbon free" society, especially in light of the enormous development that photovoltaics has been achieving in emerging economies in recent years. In fact, the greatest growth in the sector has been recorded in Asia, with China and Taiwan alone accounting for 60% of the world's production of cells and modules. Germany, the old leader of the sector, is third followed by Japan.
In terms of new installations, the photovoltaic sector represented the second largest European electricity market, immediately after that of gas, thanks to 13,5 GW of new power which corresponds to 23% of the total installed. In 2010 the two main European markets were the German and the Italian markets respectively with 7,4 GWp and 2,5 GWp of new installed capacity. At the end of 2010, Italy was also the third country in Europe for cumulative power (3,7 GWp), not far from Spain (3,9 GWp), and by the end of 2011 it is expected to reach the target of 12 GWp.
