IMS Research estimates 26.5 GW of PV installed globally in 2011

26.01.2012

On January 16th, 2012 IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) released a preliminary estimate of global aggregate solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in 2011, stating that the PV market reached up to 26.5 GW.

The company notes that it is still finalizing its 2011 data, however it currently estimates that 10 GW was installed in the fourth quarter of 2011, the highest amount in any quarter to date. IMS has further increased its 2012 forecast to between 26 and 28 GW.

"Although we had been predicting 2011 installations of 6-8 GW for Germany throughout the year, the result of 7.5 GW was even higher than our most-likely scenario forecast, and much higher than every other analyst predicted," stated IMS Research Senior Research Director Ash Sharma.

"However it was also slightly higher than expected installations in Italy, UK and China which proved important markets in determining the global outcome for 2011."

IMS estimates 7 GW installed in Italy in 2011

IMS Research states that channel inventory was very high going into the fourth quarter of 2011, and that as a result supply of modules and inverters to fill a year-end spike in demand was not a problem.

Noting that official statistics are often confusing and contradictory, IMS estimates that 7 GW of PV was installed in Italy in 2011. The company also calculates the size of the U.K. market at 800 MW in 2011, noting that much of this volume was driven by a rush to install systems before cuts to the nation's feed-in tariff.

Accompanying its estimates for 2012, IMS Research states that the success of the PV industry will depend largely on the actions of Italian and German governments.

Reported on 17 January 2012 by SolarServer