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<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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