Solar power generation is on a roll, propelled by the plummeting costs of photovoltaic (PV) panels and a wide array of incentive programs.
The global solar market had a record year in 2015, adding 55 GW worth of installed capacity, according to a recent report by GTM Research. At the end of 2015, total installed global solar power capacity reached 227 GW, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The GTM report also forecast that another 66 GW will be added in 2016. "We continue to expect stable, steady growth of the solar industry,” says John Smirnow, secretary-general of the Global Solar Council, a lobbying organization for the solar power industry whose membership comprises national and regional associations from around the world. The council has set a goal of 10 million direct solar industry jobs by 2030.