Röttgen gets out his red pencil

Suppliers remain confident
On the other hand, the suppliers could benefit from the reorganisation of the EEC. In order to remain competitive, manufacturers would have to drastically reduce their costs and now more than ever invest in new, more efficient production equipment. As a result, the German machinery and system manufacturers could help. They cover the entire solar value-added chain, even offering complete turnkey solar factories. In this way, a turnkey production line for crystalline silicon cells, designed jointly by Roth & Rau and Manz, is developing into a sought-after product. “So that our customers can produce twice as quickly,” says Manz boss Dieter Manz. This increases the efficiency and also contributes to making the solar industry more competitive. However, the market success of the suppliers is not guaranteed, “We have to provide a considerably higher capacity or degree of efficiency for the same price,” says Centrotherm boss Robert Hartung. For this reason, the top priority this year is product innovation. The companies will be displaying their wide range at the international trade fair for solar manufacturing equipment, the solarpeq, and at the glasstec, the world’s leading glass trade fair, which are both taking place at the same time in Düsseldorf between 29 September and 01 October 2010.

The government representatives are convinced that costs and prices could fall faster than before thanks to rapid innovations. Therefore, there is little more that should rattle Röttgen’s reduction plans. FDP Economic Minister Rainer Brüderle, referring to an expert report commissioned by his department, has already argued for a 16 to 17 percent tariff reduction, demanding similar cuts as Röttgen. Resistance only coming regarding its time frame. Some delegates do not want the reforms to come into force until July at the earliest so that roof-top systems that are already planned are still guaranteed to receive the subsidies that are currently valid. The government blueprint will probably go before the Bundestag (Federal Parliament) in March after a formal phase in the Bundesrat (Federal Council) and be examined there through the normal procedures. If the law is to become effective as of 01 April, it must either be passed by the Bundestag (Federal Parliament) in March or come into force later with retrospective effect. Corrections are now only possible through a parliamentary motion.

The solar industry is hoping that the phalanx of the cut-back advocates still comes unhinged. “The horse has not yet bolted,” says Körnig. Above all, resistance is still raging in the Federal states that have already built up a veritable solar industry.