UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy directs the National PV Program
through its Office of Solar Energy Technologies.
Early in 1998 the Million Solar Roofs Initiative was
launched: the goal being to put a million solar systems
(PV units or thermal systems) on the roofs of commercial
and residential building by 2010. Although Federal
legislation approving tax credits for such installations
has not yet been passed, the DOE is awarding grants
to State and Local Partnerships in order to assist
the financing and deployment of such systems. In addition,
net metering (a device to facilitate accounting for
electricity produced from a PV system) has been introduced
into 30 states. As at end-June 2001, it is estimated
that at least 140 000 solar energy systems had been
installed in the USA, of which 100 000 are pool heaters,
38 000 are hot water systems and 2 000 are PV (solar
electric systems).
During 1999 the PV industry in the USA drew up
an Industry Roadmap with the aim of setting out the
strategies and goals for PV in the period to 2020.
Its strategies are:
-
to maintain the worldwide technological
leadership that the US enjoys;
-
to achieve economic competitiveness
with conventional technologies;
-
to maintain a sustained market
and PV production growth;
-
to make the industry profitable
and attractive to investors.
Its goals are:
- to maintain a 25% annual production growth rate;
- during 2020, to ship approximately 7 GWp of PV for
installation worldwide, 3.2 GWp of which will be used
in domestic installations;
- to decrease costs to the end-user (including costs
for operation and maintenance) to US$ 3 per Watt AC
by 2010 and to approximately US$ 1.50 per Watt AC
by 2020.
At the beginning of 2000, and in conjunction with the
Roadmap, The National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV)
released its report, "Photovoltaics – Energy for the
New Millennium: The National Photovoltaics Program Plan
2000-2004".
Country Notes
(SOLAR ENERGY)
Australia || Canada
|| China
|| France
|| Germany
|| India
|| Indonesia
|| Israel
|| Italy
|| Japan
|| Kenya
|| Korea
(Republic) || Mexico
|| Netherlands
|| Norway
|| South
Africa || Spain
|| Switzerland
|| Thailand
|| United States
Of America
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