The US is not the leading user of solar energy for a very obvious reason: they can still afford to buy fossil fuels from the international market. In other countries the oil prices are ten times higher than in the US despite the fact that going for alternative fuels would be a lot better in the long run. Today, more and more countries are looking at solar energy as a primary source of power. There are several countries which can be considered to be at the helm of solar energy technology.
The number one user of solar energy is Germany which utilizes almost 50% of the world market of photovoltaic cells. Nowhere else in the world can you find the most number of households with solar panels installed on their roof tops. Germany has the Renewable Energies Law (EEG) which passed in 2000. The law inspired the Germans to feel the need to use renewable fuels.
According to statistics, Germans invested nearly $5 billion USD in solar photovoltaic systems and have contributed to the considerable growth of the solar energy market. Although the use of solar panels receive the most attention, it doesn’t mean that Germany’s solar industry is limited to the production of photovoltaic cells for electricity. Germany also leads the industry in the use of solar panels for home water heating systems. It has been reported that the German solar hot water market earns $1.5 billion USD per year.
The “solar park” in Arnstein, Bavaria, Germany (pictured) is one of the biggest photovoltaic plants in the world. It became operational in 2006 and with more than 1,400 PV solar panels producing 12 megawatts of energy.
Spain is the next biggest country in terms of usage of solar energy. The solar energy usage in the country, more specifically the photovoltaic cells usage, has a world market share of 27%. Spain has no sign of slowing down its aggressive and pro-active approach to solar energy. Solar fields are being constructed;one of the latest ones is the 60 MW solar field in Olmedilla de Alarcón, near Cuenca.
There are other big solar plants in Spain. These include the solar park 12 miles outside of Salamanca, Spain which has 70,000 PV panels divided into three 36-hectare arrays. The arrays produce an output is 13.8 megawatts and has been powering roughly 5,000 homes since it opened in 2007.
The rest of the world is following the lead set by Germany and Spain. Japan and the US share in the photovoltaic world market. The two countries each have an 8% market share, a far cry from that of Germany and Spain. It is very important that countries continue to improve the use of solar power in the world solar market.
Other notable countries that use solar power include Algeria, Australia, Italy, and Portugal. Aside from the richer European countries, people in Israel and India are realizing the importance of using alternative sources of energy.
These countries are the leaders in the development and use of solar energy technology; however, other countries are slowly catching up. The government of Israel, for example, required all residential buildings to install solar water heating systems in the early 90s. Today, business establishments, for example hotels and office buildings, are trying to use solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels as those prices continue to soar in the world market.
India is facing a similar energy crisis and they are also looking at solar energy to get them through it.
More information can be obtained about the growth and development of the European Solar Market from the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP).
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