In solar’s early days, getting electrons from solar panel to power grid was as much a financial as a technical challenge. Photovoltaic power cost more than conventional grid power, and so deploying it required government subsidy of some kind. Those subsidies could create a booming market, and gloom thereafter when subsidies expired. However, with more than a decade of decreasing costs and increasing efficiency, solar is now not just cheap enough to be viable - it is often cheaper than any other source of power in a given market. This competitive position is driving a boom in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. This week on Switched On we talk with Pietro Radoia about this coming-of-age for solar, and the challenges this boom brings.

This episode is based on a report titled Europe’s Subsidy-Free PV Market Takes Off.

BNEF clients can access this report on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile, or at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor and Dana Perkins.

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