Germany’s 1,000,000th photovoltaic system is now connected to the power grid. As announced recently by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), this PV system is located on the roof of the Institute for Sports EquipmentResearch and Development (Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung von Sportgeräten – FES) in Berlin. “When photovoltaics first took off in Germany and the 1000-roof program was launched in the fall of 1990, nobody expected that we would already reach the one-million-system mark by 2011,” explained Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, who at the time was Federal Minister for the Environment and today is the Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam. “Photovoltaics hold a considerable potential that is indispensible given the growing energy requirements around the world, the challenges of climate change and the commitment to the ‘energy revolution.’

In Germany, countless citizens, municipalities and companies have contributed with their investments toward securing the utilization of solar energy for the generation of electricity. “Photovoltaics have 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 thenear 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 photovoltaic capacity by around 5 gigawatts. This means that, by the end of the year, the total installed capacity could reach 22 gigawatts. Currently, solar power systems in Germany cover approximately 3 percent of gross electricity consumption. That is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the state of Thuringia. By 2020, solar power will make up at least 10 percent of electricity consumption.

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