This marked the fourteenth consecutive annual increase in photovoltaic shipments. Photovoltaic devices directly convert the sun s energy to electricity.
Peak kilowatts refer to the maximum electric power output of the cells and modules.
The growth in shipments is due largely to a strong export market, which accounted for 72 percent of the shipments in 1999. Photovoltaic use in the U.S. has traditionally been for stand-alone units to provide electricity at remote areas. In 1999, however, shipments of photovoltaics for connection to the electric power grid increased 75-percent over 1998 levels. Equally significant was the decrease in the average price of cells and modules. More than 90 percent of solar thermal collector shipments were to the residential sector for use as swimming pool heaters.