Intersolar North America 2008: Germany Strengthening PV Investment Conditions

Berlin (ots) - Germany's investment framework, research landscape,
and talented workforce are pushing the country's photovoltaics (PV)
sector toward grid parity, the point at which PV generation will cost
the same for the consumer as electricity from the grid. An overview
of these and other investment advantages in Germany will be featured
at Intersolar North America 2008, July 15-17 in San Francisco,
California.

Today Germany is the world's largest solar energy market. Its 3.8
GWp (Gigawatts peak) of installed PV capacity consists of nearly half
of the global solar energy market. This strong capacity is making PV
a lucrative enterprise for many companies. 2007 revenue in the PV
industry hit ?5.7 billion. High oil prices and Germany's commitment
to reduce CO2 emissions mean that there is still plenty of growth in
the future for solar energy. The market is expected to grow
approximately 25% in coming years, and Germany's PV capacity might
exceed 6 GWp by 2010.

Research Landscape and Investment Framework Drive Industry

The country has a talented workforce with many years of experience
in solar energy and solar energy products. This understanding of the
PV industry stretches beyond engineers and scientists to regulatory
authorities, who are supportive of PV investments and process
applications for new construction products in a timely fashion.

Germany's technical experts and research institutes are on the
cutting edge in PV technology. For example, the Helmholz Centre in
Berlin (formerly the Hahn-Meitner Institute HMI) is engaging in
advanced research on thin-film crystalline silicon solar cells.

A positive investment framework is one of the main reasons that
Germany has become the home to many renewable energies companies. Its
Renewable Energies Sources Act (EEG in German) mandates that owners
of PV equipment, such as solar systems, be paid a "feed-in tariff"
for solar energy that is sold into the public grid. The tariff
remains the same for 20 years, thus making it profitable for
homeowners, businesses, and other institutions to own solar panels
and add to the share of renewable energies in Germany's power grid.

Reformed EEG: Securing Germany's Advantages

The EEG calls for the "feed-in tariff" to fall every year, to
encourage the industry to find efficiencies and cost reductions. The
reformed EEG, recently approved by both houses of Germany's
legislature, has set the annual reduction at between eight and ten
percent in 2009 and 2010 and nine percent annually for 2011 and
onwards.

"The new EEG keeps the basic investment framework in place that
has allowed Germany to become a thriving PV investment location for
many PV companies, including American market leaders such as First
Solar," noted Nikolai Dobrott, head of the Renewable Energies team at
Invest in Germany. "The accelerated degression rate will only
intensify the already fierce competition to achieve grid parity, a
goal that aims to bring PV fully into the mainstream and precipitate
higher returns for PV investors," added Dobrott.

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. Invest in Germany can be found in the German Pavilion at
stand 9800B.

Originaltext: Invest in Germany
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Contact:
Invest in Germany GmbH
Headquarters
T: +49-30-200-099-0,
F: +49-30-200-099-111,
office@invest-in-germany.com,
http://www.invest-in-germany.com

Media Contact:
Eva Henkel,
T:+49-30-200-099-173,
F:+49-30-200-099-111,
henkel@invest-in-germany.com