CHICAGO, IL-Navigant Consulting’s (NCI’s) Photovoltaic Service Program released its annual Analysis of Worldwide PV Markets and Five-Year Application Forecast Report on August 14, 2007. The comprehensive annual report provides an analysis of global demand for photovoltaic (PV) products and five year application forecast. The report includes a detailed analysis of the market for PV technologies and products by selling channels, application segments, module size, and regional markets. It includes analysis of developed and industrialized countries in the following regions: North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
“Strong growth continues in the grid-connected market segment, which captured 86% of the global market volume in 2006,” said Paula Mints, associate director with Navigant Consulting and leader of NCI’s Photovoltaic Services Program. “Growth has been particularly strong in the commercial applications market segment, which grew at a compounded annual rate of 111% over the past five years.” Globally, the development of different investment models for financing solar projects has led to strong growth in the grid-connected commercial market segment. These investment models change the paradigm of owning the means of production (a solar system), back to one the electricity customer understands, that of renting electricity.