PVSEC EUROPE 2008: GERMANY SOLIDIFIES LEADING POSITION IN PV ENERGY.

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PVSEC Europe 2008: Germany Solidifies Leading Position in PV Energy BERLIN, September 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -

Germany's recently approved "climate package" is its latest step in securing the country's position as a leading investment location in renewable energies. "The reforms maintain attractive feed-in tariffs and strengthen the legal framework for energy-efficiency investments, therefore adding to Germany's already inviting investment conditions in photovoltaic (PV) energy," says David Wortmann, Director of the Renewable Energies and Resources team at Invest in Germany. Invest in Germany will be outlining the country's investment advantages at the 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (PVSEC), September 1 - 5, 2008 in Valencia, Spain.

One of the main drivers of PV investment in Germany is the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG in German). The EEG requires power companies to buy renewable energy from owners of renewable energy installations at a rate that is above the standard retail price.

The "feed-in-tariff" for PV projects beginning in 2008 stands at 35.49 - 51.75 EUR cents/KWh. The rate is guaranteed for 20 years. There is also no limit to the energy that can be sold into the grid at the EEG rates. This legal framework encourages Germans to invest in PV products, creating a long-term and sustainable domestic market.

Germany is turning its renowned scientific expertise into an asset for the solar industry. Indeed there are over 80 different academic degree options in solar energy and energy management at German universities, including a new Masters Degree program at Berlin's Technical University (TU). An "energy university" will soon open in Berlin to offer graduate-level students from all over the world the chance to improve ...