GERMAN WIND GREW 39% IN 2006 -- YES, 39%!

Inside info for NewEnergyNews readers: Behind the headlines it would appear to be bad news that domestic sales (in Germany) were 29% of the industry’s activity in 2005 but only 26% in 2006 and dropped off 25% in the 1st 6 months of 2007. But this only APPEARS to be bad news because the truth is, according to sources at the AWEA WindPower Expo, this is simply the result of the German industry servicing international buyers first. The German companies (and most wind energy suppliers) are booking orders now from all over the world — for 2009! There is a tendency, because of strong domestic “feed-in tariffs” and RPSs from individual nations as well as the EU, to be confident domestic demand will not erode.

German wind energy industry sales grow by 39%; sluggish domestic market
Frederik Richter, 25 July 2007 (AFX News via Sharewatch)

WHO
German WindEnergy Association (BWE), German Machinery Association (VDMA), Thorsten Herdan, managing director.
New Installation (click to enlarge)

WHAT
German wind energy industry sales jumped 39% in the last year.

WHEN
2005: 4.6 billion euros. 2006: 6.4 billion euros

WHERE
Announcement in Frankfurt regarding the German wind energy industry’s worldwide sales.
Cumulative installation (click to enlarge)

WHY
The 2006 sales figure represented 37% of the 15.4 billion euro global market.

QUOTES
Herdan: "Without a stable domestic market we cannot maintain our high share of the world market…"