The 1 millionth solar PV system installation milestone has been declared by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar). Having launched the 1,000 rooftop program in late 1990, over a decade later, a system on the roof of the Institute for Sports Equipment Research and Development (Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung von Sportgeräten – FES) in Berlin, marked the 1,000,000th system installed in Germany. In contrast, London, England has over 3 million homes but only just over 3,000 installations since the feed-in tariff was introduced in April, 2010.
“Photovoltaics has developed dynamically and become a key pillar of the energy supply,” said Günther Cramer, president of the German Solar Industry Association. “Significant price reductions for solar power systems have been made possible by increases in production volume and by technical advances. Already in the near future, the generation of solar power will become one of the most affordable energy forms out there.”
BSW-Solar reiterated that it expected approximately 5GW of new installations in 2011, generating a cumulative installed base of approximately 22GW by year end.
The industry trade association noted that PV in Germany covers approximately 3% of gross electricity consumption, but expects this to have reached 10% by 2020.
