PV Market Alliance Estimates 2015 PV Installations Were At Least 51 GW

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The PV Market Alliance has published new figures estimating solar PV installations during 2015 reached at least 51 GW.

According to the PV Market Alliance (PVMA), which encompasses groups from China, Belgium, Spain, Japan, and the US, 2015’s solar PV installations fell in line with its own predictions a year earlier. Specifically, 51 GW represents exactly what the PVMA predicted in its central scenario forecast for 2015.

2015’s numbers also represented an impressive growth over 2014, which only saw 40 GW of solar PV installations, according to the PVMA.

“Strong growth was observed in all major markets,” the PVMA noted in its press release (PDF), “while more emerging market[s] started to contribute to the global growth.”

China installed at least 15 GW in 2015, representing a 37% increase over 2014, with the country’s utility-scale segment dominating the market with over 70% of the market share. This also brought China up to the largest installed capacity, with 43 GW, overtaking Germany.

Japan installed approximately 10 GW in 2015, with 7.4 GW already installed by the end of the third quarter due solely to the country’s Feed-in Tariff program. The US installed 9.8 GW, growing 56% over 2014, with many companies attempting to get their installations begun in time to qualify for the then-uncertain Investment Tax Credit.

The European Union installed 8.5 GW thanks primarily to a strong UK solar PV market, which installed more than 4 GW over the year, followed a long way behind by Germany, who only installed 1.4 GW. India installed 2 GW in 2015, and set itself up for future growth in coming years.

As the PVMA noted, emerging markets were also beginning to make their mark in 2015. Other countries throughout the Americas installed 1.5 GW, and other countries throughout Asia installed around 2.5 GW (though this also included Australia), while countries in the Africa and Middle East region accounted for about 1 GW of installed solar PV in 2015.


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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