Utility companies forced to rethink with massive PV growth
The massive global increase of installed solar PV-systems has an enormous impact on the position of energy utilities. Solar produced electricity already covers 5 percent of the demand for electricity in countries like Italy and Germany. With an expected share of 8 till 10 percent in 2020, it's becoming more competitive, forcing utilities to renew their strategies and review their investments in the grid.
Last year Europe counted an estimated number of 2,5 million solar systems installed. Globally another 35 gigawatts (35.000.000 kilowatts) of new PV power will be installed in 2013, meeting a larger percentage of the electricity demand. On sunny Saturday May 26th 2012 a world record was set in Germany, when PV plants produced 22 gigawatts of solar power, almost half of the peak electricity needed on that day.
How companies and countries can manage the generated power of millions of PV-systems and how the energy utility business can team up and market solar based power, will be revealed at the "˜Solar & Utility 2.0: solar serving the grid' conference in Frankfurt, Germany.
More than 30 percent of all installed PV power in the world is installed in Germany. In 2012 7.6 gigawatts (GW) of new solar power was installed, beating the 2011 record of 7.5 GW. In total 32,4 GW of PV power produces 28.5 TeraWatthour of solar electricity per year, enough to supply 8 million households with clean power. That's 4,8 percent of the total electricity consumption in Germany. According to the roadmap of the German solar industry association, the share of solar energy could reach 10 percent by 2020. In Italy 500.000 installed PV systems already cover 10 percent of the peak demand.
