Photovoltaics: record summer only produced a record power yield

This article presents statistics on the power generated by photovoltaic (PV) installations in Switzerland in 2003. In spite of record yields related to an extreme sunny summer season, 2003 was a year where only production records were broken in Switzerland. On the installed power side, only 1.3 megawatts of new peak power were installed, the lowest figure for 6 years. The article presents figures on installed generation capacities and their production. The specific yearly yield of the installations that were monitored is examined and the disappointing general political conditions under which the PV market has to work are commented on. The situation in Switzerland is compared with that in Japan and Germany, where PV is being promoted by government schemes and installed per capita capacities are up to ten times higher than in Switzerland