(Hanau, Germany) - February 3, 2010. The International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) supports the petition of German Solar companies and the Federal Association of the German Solar Industry to scale back the level of the planned reductions with respect to the EEG.

Following the regular reduction of 10 % in the compensation for the electricity fed into the grid at the beginning of the year the new German Environment Minister Röttgen has intended further drastic cutbacks of the compensation rates for solar-generated electricity. Depending on the amount of installed capacity by the end of September 2010 a total decline of about 40 % from the beginning of 2010 until the beginning of 2011 could result. This is a substantial change of course of the new government with respect to energy policy.

Such a measure threatens the jobs of thousands of employees in the solar sector in Germany with an unpredictable impact on the rest of Europe. The technology will migrate to the cheaper Asian countries. The production and hence jobs will follow. In particular medium-sized companies and suppliers as well as installation companies, which relied on the domestic market and the governmental assertions, will be affected. This will not only impact the solar cell and panel producers but also the engineering sector.

The International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) recommends measured and predictable steps relating to changes in the EEG.

Modern production technology from Germany and Europe will continue to contribute to the reduction of production costs of solar cells and towards net parity rapidly.

Background:

The International Photovoltaic Equipment Association is an organization of companies from Europe, the US and Asia. The IPVEA combines machine and equipment manufacturers as well as producers of raw materials used in the production of photovoltaic ingots, wafers, cells (crystalline and thin-film) and panel manufacturers.

The association’s member companies represent the wide spectrum of SI and thin-film solar technology including ingot and wafer production.

Further information:
International Photovoltaic Equipment Association - IPVEA
P.O. Box 771507, Orlando, Florida 32877, USA
Managing Director: Bryan Ekus, or

German press office
Bernhard Krause, +49-61819828020/+49 1709202924