German firm sets its sights on the UK solar market

Andreas Heinrichs of IBC SOLAR

A leading solar installation firm from Germany has set its sights on the UK market and opened a new office in Oxford.

IBC Solar, which is based in Bavaria, currently employs around 400 staff worldwide and has installed around 1.3GW of solar panels.

The company’s move to the UK has followed the introduction of the Feed-In Tariff in 2010. The current UK Feed-In Tariff for PV installations on new buildings is 36.1 pence, while 43.3 pence will be paid for installations on existing buildings.

Andreas Heinrichs, director of IBC SOLAR UK Ltd, said: “Despite the UK's reputation for bad weather, solar irradiation, particularly in the south, is enough to make PV energy a credible way for the UK to reach its climate-protection goals.”

A further reason for the move could be related to reports suggesting the German government may cut solar incentives available through its Feed-In Tariff further, slowing down market growth.

Norbert Hahn, CEO of IBC SOLAR, said: “A reliable Feed-In Tariff is the first crucial step to nationwide photovoltaic coverage.

"Our ultimate goal is to encourage the use of PV energy in the UK and we will do this through building up a network of partners who enable green energy generation. Our decades of global experience put us in a great position to succeed in this."