4 January 2010
Solar-power subsidies spur growth
The growth of the German and Spanish solar industries is tailing off, but other countries are taking up the slack, writes Ian Lewis
A FLURRY of activity late in 2009 bolstered Germany's photovoltaic (PV) solar-energy capacity after a difficult year for the sector globally. But the role of the world's leading market as a demand driver is set to diminish. Project developers have been rushing to launch solar farm projects in Germany before power tariffs for the sector were reduced by around 10% from this month. Carsten Koernig, head of BSW, Germany's solar industry federation, said recently that new capacity may have reached as much as 3 gigawatts (GW) in 2009, double the amount added in 2008. "The tariff reduction is not catastrophic for the German solar market, given modules are now so cheap, but it does mean that if
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