According to market research firm Frost & Sullivan, the building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market in Europe is growing at 43.8 percent per annum and was worth €142.6 million in 2007. Germany, France and Italy are viewed as the key markets for BIPV in Europe, with demand higher than module availability due to polysilicon shortages, the market research firm said.
“It is expected that most companies will not be able to cope with the sudden rise in demand for PV modules,” noted Akhil Sivanandan, research analyst with the Environment and Building Technologies unit at Frost & Sullivan. “This shortage means that the potential of the market is not being fully realized. After 2009 however, most companies should have secured their silicon supply. With new and emerging markets like France and Italy providing increased support to BIPV, the market is poised to continue its explosive growth rate in the next few years. More countries are expected to follow suit as BIPV gains further acceptance among consumers in the coming years.”
Frost & Sullivan expects more PV manufacturers to focus on the BIPV market as demand grows.
