Global cumulative operating capacity of solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations crossed over 135 GW in 2013, according to the Global Solar Photovoltaic Installations, 2014, market report.
The increase in number of installations is primarily due to last year inclusion by Europe and Asia-Pacific countries. Declining price of solar PV’s is another reason for the expansion in global markets spread over all continents.
Interest in community-owned and self-generated PV systems, with the development of large number of PV including projects got flourished. High competition and declining prices have forced PV cell and module manufacturers for industry consolidation following the shutting down of production units in China, Europe and the United States.
The slow- down in European markets, affected PV prices that has faced competition in markets across the world. In Namibia and South Africa solar parks were brought online in 2012. Chinese companies initiated construction of projects in 20 African countries in order to bolster export demands.