Sustainability Report - Bank Sarasin-Alpen

Solar Energy 2005
Introduction
Focus on total solar energy
use
Short-term forecast for the
most important markets
Solar industry facing
supply bottleneck
Focus on off-grid systems in
developing countries
Just how sustainable
are PV systems?
Effects of new European
environmental legislation
For the third consecutive year, Sarasin's solar energy report studies the three
solar applications photovoltaics, solar thermal power and large-scale solar
thermal power stations. Our decision to concentrate not only on solar energy
but also on solar thermal power now seems to be paying off, as public interest
has risen sharply. The newly agreed conversion factor of 0.7 used to translate
the surface area of the collector (in m 2 ) into energy output (megawatt thermal or
MW th ), makes it easier to compare solar thermal power with other renewable energies
and gives a better picture of its true importance.
Our regional review of the three biggest PV markets – Germany, Japan and the
US – and their performance revealed an upbeat picture. In particular, all eyes
are on developments in the German market, whose progress could well set the
course for the immediate future of the global photovoltaics industry.
The shortage of solar-grade silicon referred to in last year’s report is becoming
more and more acute. The big manufacturers of solar-grade silicon are working
flat out to expand their production capacities. This year’s report provides the latest
information on the future expansion of global capacities. The PV industry is
also trying to make its production processes more efficient in order to produce
more power (in megawatts) from less silicon. We also describe the latest technology
trends.
Despite the attraction of fixed-rate payments for solar energy supplied to the
mains grid, it is important to look beyond the principal markets for grid-connected
systems in Germany, Europe and Japan. A far more important dimension – at
least as far as sustainability is concerned – is the supply of electricity to rural areas
in the Third World, and this market segment is now gradually starting to develop.
Considering the problems of global climate change, the use of photovoltaics
in developing countries has high priority. This is not only true from the
environmental or humanitarian perspective, but also from an economic viewpoint,
since with these applications photovoltaics often compete with diesel generators
and are increasingly becoming a competitive alternative in financial terms
as well.
For a long time the energy payback period, i.e. the time span for a system to
produce more electricity than was required for its manufacture, was considered
to be relatively unfavourable for PV systems especially. An environmental audit
using new data material based on the latest technologies shows that the energy
payback period is now only about two years, depending on the type of PV cell
used.
At the moment the photovoltaics industry is not affected (or only marginally affected)
by the new EU directives on waste of electric and electronic equipment
(WEEE) and the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS),
such as lead in solder or cadmium. The solar industry would do well to take a
proactive approach in meeting these challenges.
Dezember 2005 6