Subsides versus rate based incentives; for technology-, economical- and market-development of PV. The European experience

Photovoltaic as a reliable and renewable power source is on its way from the "research laboratory" to real product and market. Different countries have different energy-polices and different situation between the photovoltaic installation owners, the utilities and utility customers. The market development for a new product follows certain /spl Lt/rules of thumb/spl Gt/ for the market introduction and - penetration. The author has described this situation in the paper "success stories of photovoltaic financing in Europe" 1997. Six years later it is an opportunity to evaluate the improvements on the PV market development in Europe and elsewhere.