Industry for Europe's Future

Solar Industry boosts Economy

Alzenau, August 28, 2004 – On the subject: "PV Solar Electricity: One among the New Millennium Industries - Industry Political Actions for a Sustainable European PV Industry" the European Energy Foundation invites to a dinner debate with Members of the European Parliament and Commission on 26 August, 2003 in Brussels.

In this debate Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, chairman of the board of RWE SCHOTT Solar, Board Member of the Bundesverband Solarindustrie (BSi) and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) is speaking about global and especially European market development of the Photovoltaic (PV) branch. Professor Joachim Luther, Head of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (FhG-ISE) reports about the importance of Research and Development.

The future market of solar electricity is growing 30 % in average since 1996. "We also expect a two digit growth in the next future." said Hoffmann, and draws the attention to the Japanese market. "An adequate promotion program in Japan pushed the domestic PV Industry to the top of the world. In Germany especially the cost oriented feed in tariff for solar electricity according to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) is very successful." To transfer this effective mechanism to Europe - in middle-term also to the new member states - would create a dynamic market growth followed by industrial investments.

The growing relevance of Renewable Energies for the German economy can also be seen by the fact that 130,000 people are employed in this entire sector in 2002.