Germany Using PV to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Strengthen the Economy

Germany Using PV to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Strengthen the Economy

December 03, 2007

    FUKUOKA, Japan, Dec. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 

    Days before world leaders gather in Bali to discuss a
post-Kyoto agreement, Germany will display its balancing of
the environment and the economy at the 17th Photovoltaic
Science and Engineering Conference (PVSEC-17) in Fukuoka,
Japan. The event brings together international industry
leaders, researchers, and journalists from Dec. 3-7, 2007
and is a perfect platform for Germany to display how it is
using PV as one part of a broad strategy to reduce carbon
emissions while continuing economic growth.

    Germany is the world's largest PV market. It will add
1.5 gigawatts (GW) of installed PV capacity in 2007-an
improvement over 2006 when it added 1.15 GW. PV production
is increasing because Germany is creating the conditions to
make PV investments profitable.

    For example, Germany's Renewable Energies Act (or EEG)
sets a "feed-in tariff," above the market price,
to be paid to producers of renewable energy when it is sold
to utility companies. The law provides an incentive for
property owners to purchase renewable energy equipment,
thus creating a market for international investors that saw
sales of EUR3.7 billion in 2006.

    International PV companies are also drawn to Germany by
its network of producers, suppliers, and research
institutes, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany. Additionally,
investment incentives in eastern Germany, which sometimes
cover up to 50% of investment costs, make this region
popular for PV investments.

    Therefore, many international PV players have
established a presence in Germany, such as Nanosolar,
Signet Solar, First Solar, and ARISE.

    "PV is a growing and dynamic industry in Germany.
As the country works to reduce fossil fuel consumption, we
expect the importance of PV in Germany to increase, making
the country even more attractive for international
investors than it is today," notes Nikolai Dobrott,
Director of Renewable Energies and Resources at Invest in
Germany.

    Dobrott's colleague, David Wortmann, Invest in
Germany's Director for Northeast Asia, will be giving a
speech at PVSEC-17 entitled, "Germany -- the number
one location for business in the field of solar
energy."

    Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion
agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides
investors with comprehensive support from site selection to
the implementation of investment decisions.
    Media Contact:
    
    Eva Henkel,
    Invest in Germany
    Phone: [phone]
    Fax:   [phone]
    Email: [e-mail]
    
    http://www.invest-in-germany.com