Germany and France begin to rise from the ashes of the recession

August 13, 2009
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

For months now we have been reporting on the global recession and how this has been negatively affecting the PV market world-wide; now, countries such as Germany and France have emerged from the recession announcing a market surge which could in turn improve the prospects for the 2009 solar market results. This surprise return to growth from the eurozone’s two biggest economies boosts the hopes for the PV market, rising up from the most serious financial crisis since the 1930s. Germany has not reported a positive market growth since the first quarter of 2008.

This news will come as a relief for the rest of Europe, as many, including PV-Tech didn’t expect positive market news until at least 2010.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Europe’s largest economy, Germany, recorded a surprise rise of 0.3% in gross domestic product, ending its worst recession since the WWII. France also returned to growth, mirroring Germany’s rise in GDP.

“There is a more than decent chance that eurozone economic activity has now hit a bottom and will expand again in the third quarter, as many other eurozone economies follow Germany and France out of recession,” said Martin van Vliet at ING.

Portugal and Greece also recorded 0.3% quarterly growth in the three months to June, while Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria continued to shrink.

While this is a positive move in terms of global economic recovery, we are not necessarily jumping to the conclusion that the PV industry is out of the woods quite yet. However, we will be sure to keep an eye on this recovery, and report on any more PV market related news as it comes in.

Read Next

Premium
October 17, 2025
According to Ronak Maheshwari of CRC-IB, there has been a struggle for US renewable power projects to secure necessary equity .
October 17, 2025
Norwegian renewable energy firm Scatec has signed lease agreements for 64MW of solar PV and 10MWh of energy storage capacity in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
October 17, 2025
A group of over 20 US states are suing the Trump administration for the cancellation of the US$7 billion Solar For All Scheme.
October 16, 2025
Masdar and Turkey have entered the final stage of US$1 billion agreement to develop the 1.1GW plant in Bor, Niğde Province, central Turkey.
October 16, 2025
T1 Energy and Nextracker have agreed to use the latter’s steel module frames at the former’s new 5GW module manufacturing facility in Dallas.
October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK