AFASE Established as German Association
The Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE) e.V. has been incorporated last week as an association (Verein) under German law.
"AFASE is the most important voice for European solar companies and I am proud to be its chairman. We are fighting for open markets and against punitive tariffs in our innovative leading European solar industry which we all have helped to build up over many years. I simply cannot watch silently how a couple of European solar manufacturers are putting a whole industry at stake", says Thorsten Preugschas, Chairman of the AFASE e.V. and CEO of Soventix.
The association under German law has been founded by seven European solar companies: Soventix (Germany), Solarclarity, Oskomera Solar Power Solutions and Freenergics (the Netherlands), BNRG Renewables (Ireland), INAM (Spain) and Ergo Home Energy (Cyprus). The board of the association consists of Thorsten Preugschas, Peter J. Desmet, Managing Director of Solarclarity and Dennis Gieselaar, Managing Director of Oskomera.
AFASE e.V. represents a diverse group of European up- and downstream solar companies. "The number of companies supporting the AFASE has more than tripled since the beginning of 2013. Today the AFASE counts more than 575 supporters demonstrating the growing concerns in the industry about potential punitive duties", says Peter Desmet, AFASE e.V. board member and Managing Director of Solarclarity.
"AFASE is a transparent European organization representing more than 60,000 EU jobs and over 20 billion of turnover with the aim of giving European solar companies a strong voice in the debate around tariffs whereas the lobby group EU ProSun represents no more than 8,000 jobs and does not disclose its members. This confutes the argument by some voices saying that AFASE is an organization driven by Chinese manufacturers and their importers", adds Dennis Gieselaar, AFASE e.V. board member and Managing Director of Oskomera Solar Power Solutions.