News Article
German Company Opens In France
Solar-Fabrik AG opens French branch
Solar-Fabrik AG opened a French branch in Lyon, showing the company's long-term commitment in the French market. In doing so, the German high-quality module manufacturer is increasing its presence in one of the largest European growth markets for photovoltaics. With Lyon as a base, Solar-Fabrik will be able to serve customers in central and southern France in particular.
"France is an extremely attractive market, which has enormous potential for growth," states Karl-Heinz Dernbecher, Vice President Sales at Solar-Fabrik AG. "Together with our partners, we have increased sales here over several years. With our presence at the heart of the market, customers can now approach us directly. We are expecting to sell a total of approximately 20 megawatts (MW) of modules in France in 2010, with further growth predicted in 2011."
Jonas Doussal, Sales Director for France and head of the new branch in Lyon, also sees excellent prospects: "In the future, the end customer market in France will continue to play an important role, with plants in the 3-kilowatt output range. In this segment, powerful and aesthetically demanding solutions are required, which are provided by Solar-Fabrik in the form of its high-grade incell roof-integrated modules. Among our French customers, the new black "Premium incell XM mono black" module type is in particularly high demand." In addition to the end customer market, the company is also well-established in the project business, securing further growth in France.
Having a branch in Lyon makes it easier for French customers to contact Solar-Fabrik, even though the Solar-Fabrik headquarters is also conveniently situated near the German-French border, in Freiburg im Breisgau. This allows investors and major customers to pay a visit to the state-of-the-art production plants in order to assure themselves of the company's high manufacturing quality.
Following Germany and Italy, France is one of the three fastest growing countries in Europe. According to official estimates, PV installations with a total capacity of approximately 850 MW will be installed in France by the end of 2010. The forecast for new installations in 2011 has already passed the 1-gigawatt mark.
