Global Solar Deployment Exceeds Wind for First Time
The global clean energy picture for 2013 was a classic good news-bad news story, according to the “Clean Energy Trends 2014” report from Clean Edge Inc. The industry reportedly saw growth, success, and rising stock prices in some sectors—most notably solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment—but downward trends and policy and finance hurdles in others.
Last year also marked a significant transition in the history of clean energy: for the first time since Clean Edge began tracking global markets in 2000, the world installed more new solar PV generating capacity—36.5 GW—than wind power, which was 35.5 GW. Record levels of new solar deployment in China, Japan and the U.S. combined with a down year in the wind industry to create this crossover.