It is common knowledge that Germany was the ‘bull’ market for PV in 2004, but closer analysis of the German market data reveals some interesting statistics that deserve to be highlighted:

The sales volume grew by 136 % from 153,7 MW in 2003 to 363 MW in 2004. Over the past three years the average annual growth rate has been almost 75 % – and that includes a mere 2 % growth in 2002.

Some 40 000 systems totaling 3,3 km² of PV area were added in 2004. Investors are clearly tending to favor larger systems – in 2004 the average system size was 9 kW, compared to an average of 4,7 kW for all systems installed prior to 2004.

Germany’s boom also brought some good news for foreign companies: some 40 % of the required PV modules (and 45 % of cells) would have to have been imported.

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