1-Italy's solar growth seen slowing sharply in 2012

Growth of solar power capacity in Italy, the world's second-biggest market, is expected to slow to 1,500-2,500 megawatts in 2012 after a 9,300 MW spike in 2011 due to a planned cut in incentives, a senior industry official said on Tuesday.

"It could be between 1,500 and 2,500 megawatts," Gerardo Montanino, director of operating division at GSE, Italy's green energy incentives management agency, told Reuters on the sidelines of a photovoltaic conference in northern Italy.

"It is very difficult to make more precise forecasts when the rules for the sector are changing," Montanino said.

The Italian government has announced a plan to scale back production incentives to the photovoltaic and other renewable energy this year to ease the burden on consumers, who pay for the industry support with their power bills. ? The inflow of requests for incentives, managed by GSE, has slowed considerably so far this year, and various requests have filed and then later cancelled in a sign of uncertainty in the sector, Montanino said.

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) expects Italy to add 3,000 to 6,000 MW this year of new photovoltaic capacity, which turns sunlight into power.

Last year's spike in new installations, spurred by a special decree, made Italy the fastest-growing photovoltaic market for the year. Italy's total installed PV capacity stood at about 12,700 MW at the end of 2011.

A sharp fall in Italy's solar growth is bad news for major solar equipment makers such as Chinese group Suntech Power Holdings, Trina Solar, Yingli Green Energy Holding and U.S. firms First Solar and SunPower Corp.

Andrew Beebe, Suntech Power's chief commercial officer, said it was too early to talk about the impact of planned incentive cuts in Italy on the company's business before the final version is published but said Suntech remained committed to Italy and Germany, which has also cut solar industry support.

"I think both countries will stay firmly committed to solar and we will stay committed to the countries," Beebe told Reuters at the same conference.

Source:http://www.climatespectator.com.au/news/update-1-italys-solar-growth-seen-slowing-sharply-2012