Solar power's growth outpaces wind energy

[jpak]

http://www.elp.com/articles/2013/09/solar-power-s-growth-outpaces-wind-energy.html

A strong showing from global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, coupled with a sharp fall in new wind energy capacity, has led to solar power growth outpacing wind this year — for the first time ever.

Analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that 36.7 GW in new solar PV capacity will be added worldwide in 2013, compared with 35.5 GW in new wind power installations (33.8 GW onshore and 1.7 GW offshore).

Both wind and solar PV broke records last year, with onshore and offshore wind adding 46.6 GW and solar PV adding 30.5 GW. But 2013’s slowdown in the two largest wind markets, China and the U.S., is opening the way for the rapidly growing PV market to overtake wind, BNEF said.

Justin Wu, BNEF’s head of wind analysis, said, "We forecast that wind installations will shrink by nearly 25 percent in 2013, to their lowest level since 2008, reflecting slowdowns in the U.S. and China caused by policy uncertainty.”

<more>

[dimbear]

1. The greatest need for solar now is in Africa. Plenty of sun, not so much wind.

Ridiculously high rates for grid power.

[cprise]

6. I totally agree

But Obama wants to help them build large grids anyway. It would be a very hopeful thing to see countries where electrification dominated at the village microgrid level first.

[NickB79]

2. "a sharp fall in new wind energy capacity" ?!?!

But 2013’s slowdown in the two largest wind markets, China and the U.S., is opening the way for the rapidly growing PV market to overtake wind, BNEF said.

Justin Wu, BNEF’s head of wind analysis, said, "We forecast that wind installations will shrink by nearly 25 percent in 2013, to their lowest level since 2008, reflecting slowdowns in the U.S. and China caused by policy uncertainty.”

This needs to be an article of it's own. The growth in solar is promising, but the slowdown in wind is definitely not good right now.

[jpak]

3. Because the GOP threatened the to take away the PTC

Causing "market uncertainty" etc.

[NickB79]

4. What happened in China? nt

[jpak]

5. Not enough grid connectivity - the grid needs to catch up.

They oversubscribed wind projects - so they slowed wind power expansion.

Solar compliments wind diurnally and seasonally, so it makes a better fit with the existing grind (and its getting cheaper, thanks to Chinese gov't subsidies).