World PV Leaders to Gather in Milan for the European PV Solar Energy Conference
Milan, Italy, August 31, 2007
Source: PRNewswire press release/ EarthTimes.com
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,169405.shtml
Worldwide leaders in the PV industry will be gathering in Milan, Italy from September 3rd-7th, 2007 for the 22nd annual European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference. In recent years, Germany has become a popular destination for PV investments and the country’s investment promotion agency, Invest in Germany, will be on hand in Milan to outline advantages of a PV investment in Germany. Germany is the world leader in PV. This claim is backed up in both capacity and sales: 55% of the world’s total PV capacity is in Germany and in 2006 the German PV industry earned EUR3.8 billion in sales.
There are many reasons that Germany is the leading PV investment location. One is the favorable legal framework. The Renewable Energies Act of 2000 sets a “feed-in-tariff” at which power companies are required to purchase energy from renewable sources. For PV power this equates to a price of 37.96 to 54.21 EUR/kWh paid to the owners of PV installations over 20 years. This price incentive has helped spawn a market of consumers for PV products.
Germany also has a qualified workforce that is ready to help any PV investment succeed. The proximity to other PV companies, suppliers, universities, and research institutes has attracted numerous foreign PV investors. For example, the Canadian solar cell manufacturer ARISE is breaking ground this month on its new production line facility in the eastern German town of Bischofswerda. ARISE is joining other companies such as First Solar and Nanosolar in making major investments in eastern Germany. Furthermore many German universities are strengthening the research landscape and future workforce by offering programs in management and engineering focused on the PV industry.
The availability of investment incentives is also a further reason for companies to invest in Germany. These loans and grants-that sometimes cut investment costs in half-serve as a major attraction for investors to set up projects especially in eastern Germany. This incentive, coupled with the previously listed reasons, has helped create a “solar valley” of PV companies throughout eastern Germany. Invest in Germany is the official investment promotion agency of Germany. Its mandate is to assist and advise international companies about investment opportunities in Germany. Invest in Germany can be found in Exhibition Hall 20, Booth F6.