German economy minister plans support for domestic solar manufacturers

Germany’s Green economy ministry plans to protect domestic solar panel makers against low-cost competition from China. "Solar products from Germany fulfil standards that others do not. For example, manufacturers in Germany often do not use toxic substances or they have a high level of efficiency," Robert Habeck said, according to a report in Zeit Online. "Anyone who makes such a difference and contributes to resilience should be rewarded for it." He conceded that the government agreement to solve the budget crisis triggered by a constitutional court ruling restricted its financial leeway, but added that “it is important that Germany has at least a basic share of its own production.”

The solar industry in Germany has been mired in difficulty since the early success of the Renewable Energy Act in the year 2000. German companies quickly ascended to global leadership in solar power technology before a collapse after 2012 forced many manufacturers to drop out of business. The current government aims to massively increase solar power capacity across the country and is introducing a raft of legislation to speed up permitting procedures, make more land available, and increase the capacity of solar tenders.