Overview of the progress in photovoltaic sector in Europe <Report>

This paper aims to provide an overview of the progress of the photovoltaic sector in Europe. The European countries face different physical initial positions regarding the utilization of the suns direct energy, which leads to the question if these initial differences or political will is the more crucial driver for the development of a PV market. Whatsoever, PV is disputed for its cost and various side effects which result from a fostered market and therefore should be assessed in order to decide if and how subsidies should be carried out. PV roadmaps of various countries and institutions, outlooks and studies were examined to merge this information to a comprehensive picture, showing that the market leadership of Europe is based on the successful and strong policies of a few countries. Together with a glance at other important countries, an understanding of the state of PV usage, the reasons behind these developments and likely future developments in Europe are gained.