The data gathered also appears to show that Germany is likely to be the first country in Europe to develop a market completely independent of subsidies as power prices per kWh move above Feed-in Tariffs.
Having surveyed 130 installers, manufacturers and distributors in Germany, Italy, France and the UK, predictions have also been made that roof integrated PV’s market share will double from three percent to six percent by 2015.
“The photovoltaic industry is currently going through a transformation, as the importance of feed-in-tariffs is decreasing in the different markets,” said Pepyn Dinandt, ceo of the Monier Group.
“Against the background of increasing power prices, it is becoming more and more attractive for system owners to consume the power they generate with their PV systems. Our model shows that roof-integrated photovoltaics will play an increasingly important role in this context.”
Jens Milnikel, head of Monier’s solar business line, added: “From our perspective, three aspects play a particularly important role in unlocking this potential: First, it is important to create more knowledge and acceptance of the benefits of roof-integrated systems among customers. Secondly, the cooperation between various trades needs to be optimised. Thirdly, suppliers’ service packages need to reflect the increased demands and expectations end- customers place on multifunctional products.”