3/20 GP Proves Photovoltaic Cells are Marketable

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

----------
Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
----------
                   ************************
                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
                   ************************
 
 
GREENPEACE PROVES THAT PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS ARE MARKETABLE:
 Creation of a market volume of 100 million D-marks
 
Hamburg, 20 March 1996: Greenpeace announced today that
rooftop  photovoltaic units are now 40 percent cheaper than
before. This is the result of a 
five-month campaign to support solar energy. Selected from 45
bids that were  submitted to Greenpeace, five firms have now
been chosen that can offer 2-kW  solar facilities that fulfill
the required technical and cost criteria. This was documented
in an analysis released today that was produced in 
coorporation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy
Systems.  
One investor located in Wernigerode (Saxony-Anhalt) wants to
produce solar  cells and modules: another investor in Freiburg
(south Germany) also wants to  start up solar module
production. Three wholesale dealers want to import  modules
from Spain or Sweden. All five businesses fulfill the
conditions that  Greenpeace set in January when bidding was
opened. Greenpeace's criteria were  based on cost and quality
factors plus ecological, technical and location aspects.
 
Greenpeace will distribute the analysis to the 4000 parties

who, during the  campaign, declared their intent to purchase a
2-kW photovoltaic unit. These  interested parties can choose
and order from one of the five businesses offering 
rooftop units for around 25,000 D-marks.
 
"The demand that Greenpeace created will be instrumental in
developing a stable  market for photovoltaic modules in
Germany. It's a slap in the face to German  power utilities
that exported their solar production facilities abroad in
1995. And 
that after receiving investments of half a billion D-marks for
research and  development," commented Sven Teske, Greenpeace
solar expert.  
The Greenpeace campaign began in November 1995 when the
environment  organisation started collecting intents of
purchase from interested parties for a 2-
kW rooftop solar facility called "Cyrus". This type of unit
provides about one-half 
of the average electricity requirements of a four-person
household. The 4000  declarations of purchase intent represent
a market volume of about 100 million D-
marks. If all parties install a solar rooftop unit, Greenpeace
will have doubled 
present solar power use in Germany within five months.
 
For more information contact the Greenpeace solar team:
Jan Rispens/Sven Teske:  ++49 - 40 - 30618-304 or press
officer Rudiger Rosenthal:  ++49 - 40 - 30618-342.

----------