BERLIN and ANAHEIM, California, October 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany's
newly formed government will continue to provide broad support for renewable
energy sources, according to the coalition agreement. This affirmation
further strengthens Germany's attractiveness as a location for solar
companies. Germany Trade & Invest will be presenting the advantages of the
world's leading photovoltaic industry at this year's Solar Power
International 2009, taking place from October 27 - 29 in Anaheim, California.
Germany continues to be a magnet for international photovoltaic
companies, as recent investments by California-based Nanosolar and Norwegian
Vetro Solar confirm. The new coalition agreement cites solar energy's
importance as a future technology for Germany and thereby vows to make
marketability and storage capacity for renewable energies a continued
priority.
In September, Nanosolar opened a fully-automated thin film panel factory
in Luckenwalde near Berlin. The plant will have an annual module producing
capacity of 640 MW, or one panel every 10 seconds. It achieves a median
efficiency rating of 11 percent and a maximum electricity conversion of 16.4
percent, setting a new efficiency record for this type of cell.
Vetro Solar is investing over EUR 23 million in a new glass production
facility in Solar Valley in the Eastern German federal state of
Saxony-Anhalt. Set to commence production this coming spring, the two
fully-automated production lines will provide customized glass solutions
representing output of 2-3 GWp for both silicon wafer and thin-film solar
companies. Solar Valley, the world's largest PV cluster, provides optimal
access to raw materials, suppliers, customers, and research institutes. No
other location boasts such a high concentration of companies and institutes
working in the photovoltaics industry.
These two companies add to the broad landscape of successful solar
companies in Germany, home to the world's largest photovoltaic industry.
There are more than 500,000 solar electricity systems in Germany that have an
output of 5.4 GWp of cumulated power, of which 1.65 GWp comes from systems
installed in 2008. Germany's market accounts for 37 percent of the entire
global industry. The PV industry in Germany posted over EUR 9.5 billion in
revenues in 2008 and expects 15-20 percent market growth until 2013.
Solar companies cite a number of factors when choosing Germany as an
investment location. Germany allows companies to produce in close proximity
to their clients, as it is home to the largest customer base and is well
positioned to access large emerging solar markets in Europe. Strong
government support in the form of initial investment incentives and feed-in
tariffs along with opportunities to collaborate with world-class research
institutes make Germany a clear choice for solar companies. The "Made in
Germany" label, which stands for quality and efficiency, is further boosted
by high productivity rates, coming in almost 25 percent above the OECD
average.
Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment
promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises
foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German
market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that
seek to enter foreign markets.
Eva Henkel
Germany Trade & Invest
Email: eva.henkel@gtai.com
Phone: +49-30-200099-173
Fax: +49-30-200099-111
SOURCE Germany Trade and Invest
Eva Henkel: Germany Trade & Invest, Email: eva.henkel@gtai.com, Phone:
+49-30-200099-173, Fax: +49-30-200099-111
