According to a recent report from Navigant Research, worldwide revenue from distributed solar power generation will reach $112 billion annually by 2018. Driven by feed-in tariffs (FITs) and the commoditization of photovoltaic modules, along with innovative leasing programs for residential solar installations, distributed solar PV systems are expected to see double- and, in some countries, triple-digit growth over the next five years, the report says.
‘It is a great time for consumers and end users to purchase or lease distributed solar PV systems, as prices continue to fall in the midst of fierce competition and continued consolidation,’ says Dexter Gauntlett, research analyst with Navigant Research. ‘Paradoxically, the impending slowdown in government-funded initiatives will actually benefit the market, as governments retool their FITs to place greater emphasis on onsite generation.’
At the same time, Navigant says, solar PV trade disputes are expanding around the world at different points in the value chain, creating uncertainty for many companies, particularly in the United States and Europe. China, already the leader in manufacturing, is anticipated to install more solar PV systems domestically in 2013 than any other country, according to the report.
The report," Distributed Solar Energy Generation," analyzes the global market for distributed solar PV systems less than 1 MW in capacity and provides an assessment of the most important market drivers, technology trends, and challenges faced by the growing distributed solar PV industry. Forecasts for average installed prices and annual installations, segmented by region, extend through 2018.
