World PV Leaders to Gather in Milan

MILAN, Italy, August 31 /PRNewswire/ --     Worldwide leaders in the PV industry will be gathering in Milan, Italy
from September 3rd-7th, 2007 for the 22nd annual European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference. In recent years, Germany has become a popular destination
for PV investments and the country's investment promotion agency, Invest in
Germany, will be on hand in Milan to outline advantages of a PV investment in
Germany.

Germany is the world leader in PV. This claim is backed up in both
capacity and sales: 55% of the world's total PV capacity is in Germany and in
2006 the German PV industry earned EUR3.8 billion in sales.

There are many reasons that Germany is the leading PV investment
location. One is the favorable legal framework. The Renewable Energies Act of
2000 sets a "feed-in-tariff" at which power companies are required to
purchase energy from renewable sources. For PV power this equates to a price
of 37.96 to 54.21 EUR/kWh paid to the owners of PV installations over 20
years. This price incentive has helped spawn a market of consumers for PV
products.

Germany also has a qualified workforce that is ready to help any PV
investment succeed. The proximity to other PV companies, suppliers,
universities, and research institutes has attracted numerous foreign PV
investors. For example, the Canadian solar cell manufacturer ARISE is
breaking ground this month on its new production line facility in the eastern
German town of Bischofswerda. ARISE is joining other companies such as First
Solar and Nanosolar in making major investments in eastern Germany.

Furthermore many German universities are strengthening the research
landscape and future workforce by offering programs in management and
engineering focused on the PV industry.

The availability of investment incentives is also a further reason for
companies to invest in Germany. These loans and grants-that sometimes cut
investment costs in half-serve as a major attraction for investors to set up
projects especially in eastern Germany. This incentive, coupled with the
previously listed reasons, has helped create a "solar valley" of PV companies
throughout eastern Germany.

Invest in Germany is the official investment promotion agency of Germany.
Its mandate is to assist and advise international companies about investment
opportunities in Germany. Invest in Germany can be found in Exhibition Hall
20, Booth F6.

Media Contact:
    
    Eva Henkel
    Invest in Germany
    T: +49-30-200099-173
    F: +49-30-200099-111
    Email: henkel@invest-in-germany.com
    http://www.invest-in-germany.com