Photovoltaic Industry to Enjoy Robust Installation Growth in 2013, but Revenue Dip Poses Challenges
January 25, 2013
Global photovoltaic (PV) installations will rise this year in a continuing pattern of solid growth, but the industry will nonetheless suffer a decline in overall revenue due to lower volume growth and decreasing system prices, according to an IHS Solar white paper from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).
PV installations are projected to reach 35 gigawatts (GW) this year, up from 32 GW in 2012, as shown in the attached figure. In comparison, industry revenue—measured as the system price multiplied by total gigawatts installed—will retreat to an estimated $75 billion, down from $77 billion last year, and exhibiting an even steeper fall from the market’s peak revenue of $94 billion in 2011.
