The total global production of photovoltaic (PV) cells grew by 10% in 2012 compared to the growth in 2011--although there was a 9% decline in solar energy investments.
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre released its annual "PV Status Report". This 2013--12th edition of the PV Status Report gives an overview of current trends. Over the last 15 years, the PV industry has grown from a small group of companies and key players into a global business where information gathering is becoming more and more complex.
The issue reports that Europe maintained its position as leader as far as installed PV is concerned with a total of about 16.8 GWp which is 51.7% of the 30 GWp installed worldwide. In 2012, the PV industry production increased again but more modestly than previous years, increasing by around 10 % and reaching a worldwide production volume of about 38.5 GWp of photovoltaic modules. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last decade was about 55 %, which makes photovoltaics one of the fastest growing industries at present.
News Source: European Commission--Joint Research Center -- Full Report HERE