EUPVSEC wraps up in Amsterdam
The 29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2014) closed its doors on Friday September 26. The global PV community gathered in Amsterdam, to conduct business, to network and to present and discuss the latest developments and innovations in Photovoltaics. 48% participates at the EU PVSEC 2014 had been represented by R&D specialists and 38% from the segment industry and engineering. About 6% of the participants came from the segment system integration and energy supply. More than 3,000 PV professionals from 74 countries attended the Conference Program, covering the entire scope of PV technologies. During the EU PVSEC exhibitors along the PV value chain presented the latest products and services. The EU PVSEC 2014 highlighted the impact that the growth of PV will have on our overall energy system.
Henk Kamp, Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, gave an introductory speech at the opening session of EU PVSEC 2014. "The success of solar energy does not only depend on technological innovation, it also requires social and economic adoptions. Last year the Dutch solar industry sector generated a turnover of one billion euro."
Teun P. Bokhoven, Conference General Chairman and president of the Dutch Renewable Energy Federation concludes, "This conference provided new insights in the next steps for PV development. Apart from the ongoing need for emphasizing PV cell development, we also are more aware of the need to concentrate on the integration of PV in the electricity grid and the environment.
The strong growth expectation, expressed in the International Energy Agency (IEA) roadmap for PV, proves the confidence in the technological development. It also makes it crystal clear that PV need to become an integral of our total energy system."
PV has been deploying faster than anticipated. During EUPVSEC 2014 the IEA presented its Renewable Market Report forecasting PV to reach 2% of global electricity generation before 2019. The IEA also announced the latest long-term PV Technology Roadmap showing that by 2050 up to 16% of world electricity supply could be delivered by PV, compared with the 11% share indicated in the original 2010 roadmap. Installed cumulative PV capacity would grow to more than 4,600 GW, providing around 6,300 TWh.
Today 79% of European citizens already could take advantage of the fact that PV electricity is already cheaper than residential electricity. Arnulf Jaeger-Waldau, Conference Technical Programme Chairman, stated, "We are discussing the technical components of PV systems costs which present only 40% of the total residential electricity costs. Another 20% are covered by the operation of the PV system. But administration fees, taxes and financing are another 40% of the costs. This fact must be discussed and checked. I am sure that there is some potential for more cost savings".
Giovanni De Santi, Director of the Institute for Energy and Transport JRC, European Commission, "The European Commission will start soon a debate with stakeholders about the feasibility of the X-GWp project making the transition to a new generation of technology and thus exploiting the economies of scale made possible by gigawatt-scale production. The project would intended to help reinstate the competitiveness of the European photovoltaics industry at a time when global demand is beginning to pick up new speed"
The organizers have announced that the EU PVSEC 2015 will be hosted at the CCH (Congress Centre Hamburg) in Hamburg, Germany in 2015. The Conference will commence on September 14, 2015 and will close on September 17, 2015.
