37 GW Of Solar Capacity Installed Worldwide In 2013

Over 37 GW worth of solar capacity was installed worldwide during 2013, according to recent figures from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).

Those figures exceed the prediction made by NPD Solarbuzz of 36 GW to be installed in 2013 by only 1 GW. The relative accuracy of NPD Solarbuzz’s predictions bodes well for the solar industry in 2014, as the organization is predicting a bring jump — up to 49 GW.

With regard to 2013, of the 37 GW, a substantial percentage was from China — 11.3 GW worth. While Japan installed 6.9 GW and the US installed 4.8 GW. The European figures were less impressive — with Germany only installing 3.3 GW (as compared to 7.6 GW in 2012), and France only installing 613 MW (as compared to 1.1 GW in 2012).

However, other European countries were up, such as:

Greece — 1.04 GW
Italy — 1.1–1.4 GW
UK — 1–1.2 GW
Romania — 1.1 GW

But the situation isn’t so rosy everywhere. Spain was particularly notorious for harsh retrospective cuts. “In a number of European countries, harsh support reduction, retrospective measures and unplanned changes to regulatory frameworks that badly affect investors’ confidence and PV investments viability have led to a significant market decrease,” stated Gaëtan Masson, head of business intelligence, EPIA.

As stated previously, though, growth in the industry is expected to be quite strong next year — it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the European market in 2014

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