PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

The state of Germany's 100,000 Roofs program in January

Monthly statistics on the 100,000 Roofs Program from the German bank for reconstruction, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), show enthusiasm for low-interest loans for photovoltaic systems persisting into February.

In January, funds were appropriated for 3.8 MW, following 4 MW in December. In comparison to the last two years, this is a markedly good value. While in Jan. 2000, loan requests amounted to 859 kW of PV systems, in Jan. 2001 those requests dropped to just 266 kW. The consistent interest level at present probably hangs together with the expected, but still unexecuted, 5 percent decrease in the upper loan limit. As the Ministry of Finance is currently revising other guidelines, as a spokesperson claimed, the loan cap decrease for the 100,000 Roofs Program will probably occur at the earliest in March.

Since the program began in Jan. 1999, loans for a total of nearly 128 MW have been approved. Of this, 53 MW were installed in Bavaria, followed by 27 MW in Baden-Württemberg and 18 MW in North Rhine-Westphalia. ak