Romania will have 50.000 installed solar panel systems by 2014

Newsroom 17/11/2011 | 16:32

The Romanian solar panel market will reach 50.000 systems in the next two years, closing down the gap in volume compared to European markets, according to estimates from Ariston Thermo Romania, one of the players on the local solar panel market.

Ariston forecasts an increasing demand for solar panels in the year to come, fueled by the extension of the governmental program Casa Verde (Green House) in 2012.

“Around 20.000 houses had installed solar panel systems prior to the Casa Verde program that ensured financing starting 2010 and will continue in 2012. This program will increase solar panel installments to 50.000, stated Catalin Draguleanu, sales director at Ariston Thermo Romania.

Around 16.100 requests have been approved in 2010 for heating systems using renewable sources that will replace or complete classic systems, according to data from The Environmental Fund Administration.

Around 24.000 requests for financing have been filled in this year, exceeding by RON 40 million the allocated budget of RON 100 million.

Data from the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) show that around 26.000 houses had solar panel installed at the beginning of 2011, ranking close to Bulgaria. Ariston data shows that Hungary had 37.500 with installed solar panels, while the Czech Republic exceeds 77.000. Poland reported 164.000 houses. Germany is leading with 2.75 million houses that have solar panels. Greece is trailing behind with 1.36 million, followed by Austria with 770.000.

ESTIF data also show that Romania and Bulgaria have 105.000 square meters of solar panel surface each.