MEDITERRANEAN SUN

Europeans don't seem worried about a bubble.

The Med’s Future Is Bright
Leah Krauss, April 26, 2007 (UPI)

WHO
European Photovoltaic Industry Association, especially sunny Greece.
European solar energy. Orange/Red=highest potential. click to enlarge.
WHAT
Mediterranean countries set goals for significantly increasing solar energy production. They agreed "…to set national and regional priorities in terms of applications, to promote and coordinate a regional policy framework and to create an aggregation of market opportunities…"

WHEN
- The EPIA conference was the last week in April. Goals were set for 2020.
- Greece intends 700 to 1200 megawatts of solar-generated electricity by 2020.
- EPIA 2006: 400 gigawatt hours of solar energy electricity all over the Mediterranean
- EPIA 2010 (expected): 5 terawatt hours; 2020 (expected): 78 terawatt hours.
- EPIA CO2 emissions reduced by 2020 (expected): 47 million tons

WHERE
30 circum-Mediterranean countries from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, especially Greece

WHY
Greece is one of the sunniest countries in Europe. A 2006 Greek law promised citizens 60% subsidies for up-fronts solar system costs and guaranteed them 54-68 cents/kilowatt-hour on excess electricity sold back to the Greek grid.

QUOTES
- EPIA: "Solar power could provide electricity to half a million of households in Greece by 2020, provided of course that an adequate promotion towards the end-user market is actively put in place…"
- Greek parliamentarian Kyriakos Mitsotakis: "In Greece, the new law (for renewable energy sources) makes it much easier to get installation permission of renewable energy sources especially for small units, while the price for solar kilowatt hour has increased six times. But ... it is very important that there are responsible public services to implement in the right way avoiding bureaucratic barriers for investors…"
- Greek vice minister for development, Ioannis Papathanassiou: "The Greek government is willing to attract investors from the PV sector. To make it more attractive for them ... the government is ready to include renewable energies and in particular photovoltaic in its upcoming law on land planning…"