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Large‐scale Distributed PV Projects in The Netherlands
Author(s) -
Schoen T.,
ter Horst E.,
Cace J.,
Vlek F.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-159x(199705/06)5:3<187::aid-pip172>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - commercialization , photovoltaics , photovoltaic system , scale (ratio) , architectural engineering , electricity , power (physics) , business , environmental economics , engineering , electrical engineering , geography , economics , marketing , cartography , physics , quantum mechanics
In The Netherlands, as well as in a large number of other countries around the world, photovoltaics is regarded as one of the most promising options for future power production, although bulk photovoltaic (PV) power now is still more than five times more expensive than grid power. The commercialization of PV will run from small ‘niche’ markets to large‐scale power plants integrated into the utility network. This does not mean, however, that PV R,D&D should concentrate on niche market applications only. Tomorrow's introduction of large‐scale PV power plants can only be achieved successfully if effort is put into the development and demonstration of large‐scale PV technology today. The Nieuw Sloten 250‐kWp project (Amsterdam) and the Nieuwland 1‐MW project (Amersfoort) in The Netherlands are examples of the commitment on the national and on the European level to take up this R,D&D effort seriously (both projects are supported by Novem and THERMIE). The Netherlands ‘learning programme’ for PV aims at the successful introduction of large‐scale, dispersed photovoltaics in the next century. The key issue of the programme, as well as of the aforementioned projects, is to establish a firm cooperation with builders, because future large‐scale photovoltaics in The Netherlands will undoubtedly be realized on the roofs of buildings. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.