Photon Expo 2008: Germany's PV Industry Securing its Position as World Leader

Munich (ots) - By 2010 revenues from production of PV products
will have nearly doubled in Germany and investment volumes will have
increased by 67%. These are the assessments, based on surveys with
345 companies, of the research institutes Ifo in Munich and EuPD in
Bonn. The Photovoltaic Technology Show 2008 (April 2-4, 2008) is one
of the world's leading PV trade fairs and Invest in Germany will be
there to present Germany's advantages as a location for PV
investment.

Germany is the world's largest PV market and its projected growth
will secure this distinction. The organization PHOTON Consulting
expects that by 2010 Germany will have over 6.5 Gigawatts (GW) of
installed PV capacity, double the amount of any European competitor
and the largest worldwide. Germany's increasing potential combined
with growing worldwide demand means there are numerous possibilities
for new entrants into the German market.

The principal market driver in Germany is the Renewable Energy
Sources Act (EEG in German) that establishes a "feed-in" tariff on
power generated from renewable sources. This law is especially
favorable to PV energy. Utility companies must purchase energy
generated from PV facilities at a rate that is sometimes twice the
standard rate paid by private households. This legislation is an
incentive for property owners to purchase solar panels and creates
domestic demand for PV products in Germany.

Furthermore, the EEG does not have a cap; there is no set limit to
the amount of electricity that could be produced from PV sources and
therefore benefit from the "feed-in" tariff. PV products also have
growing export potential as interest in PV increases in other
countries. The IFO and EuPD study predicts that sales coming from
exports will increase from a current 37% to 50% by 2010.

Growing sales, quick and efficient approval processes, proximity
to suppliers and R&D expertise, a qualified workforce, and government
incentives are all reasons that PV companies, such as First Solar,
Arise Technologies, Nanosolar, and many others are succeeding in
Germany.

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. It can be found in hall C1 booth J21 at Photon Expo 2008.

Originaltext: Invest in Germany
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Media Contact:
Eva Henkel
Invest in Germany
Phone: +49-30-200099-173
Fax: +49-30-200099-111
Email: henkel@invest-in-germany.com
www.invest-in-germany.com