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29 January 2010

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United Kingdom joins other major European countries by offering solar incentive scheme

At a solar energy conference in London later this year, UK and international experts will talk about the prospects of the solar PV industry in the UK. The conference, scheduled for 22 June 2010, will act as a platform, with networking opportunities for UK and international business executives. Major stakeholders, from regulators to industry experts and financiers, will be discussing their expectations.

While other European solar energy markets have been thriving in the last five years, the UK market for solar electricity (also known as photovoltaics, or simply PV) has remained small and is still in its infancy. But all this is about to change.

The new feed-in tariffs are scheduled to come into effect by 1 April 2010. The photovoltaic industry expects growth to kick in quickly after that date. More than 50 solar companies around the UK are eagerly waiting for the law to be finally passed in the House of Commons in April 2010. “Other countries in Europe have shown how quickly clear framework conditions can translate into growth. We are now ready for growth in the UK as well, and hope that other stakeholders like the financial institutions will also see the opportunity,” says Joachim Gerhard, a London-based solar energy consultant.


“The UK market for solar PV has been lagging behind in terms of growth and size,” says Edwin Koot, CEO of SolarPlaza and organizer of the UK PV conference. “Now, with the new commitment from the government, the UK solar industry will finally get the chance to catch up with its European competitors. This will create new jobs in the UK and help diversify Britain’s energy mix for the future.”

Solarplaza hosts the leading global PV industry portal www.solarplaza.com, and has previously organized international PV trade missions and PV expert conferences in Spain, Germany, California, China, Germany, Italy, Greece, India and Taiwan.


For more information, please contact: E. Koot ([email protected]; www.ukpvconference.com; +31 (0)10 280 9198).

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