By Kari Williamson

“When photovoltaics first took off in Germany and the 1000-roof programme was launched in the fall of 1990, nobody expected that we would already reach the one-million-system mark by 2011,” says Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, former Federal Minister for the Environment and current Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS).

“Photovoltaics have developed dynamically and become a key pillar of the energy supply,” adds 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.”

For 2011, the German Solar Industry Association expects an expansion of solar PV capacity by around 5 GW, which could mean a total installed capacity of 22 GW by year end.