Abhishek points to Germany’s best feed in tariff program in the world. An influx of cheap Chinese solar panels has also seen demand soar. According to the German Solar Industry Associaton, mild weather conditions and the fear of a future cap on support for solar power also contributed. Another factor influencing the expansion of solar power is the euro crisis, which sparked a flight into asset values.
Recent figures indicate that in December 2011 alone Germany installed 2.1 GW, meaning the total for the year was 7.5 GW, or 0.1 GW more than 2010.
One of the reasons for the record number is that government introduced a 15 percent cut in support for photovoltaic installations on January 1st and another 15 percent cut will be introduced on July 1st.
Despite the figures, industry representatives are not all sunny optimism regarding the future. “Despite the stable and growing demand in Germany and in some other international markets, turnover and profits for 2011 remain below the expectations of many companiesâ€, GSIA said. “The industry hopes for improvement through a significant upswing in international markets in the coming years. For Germany, the industry expects declining demand due to the statutory cuts in support for 2012, which will total approximately 30 percent.â€
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