By Kari Williamson

The growth in German solar comes as prices for oil and gas are increasing, at the same time as the prices for turnkey solar systems have more than halved since 2007.

The falling feed-in tariffs for solar may also have spurred some installers into action to get a share of the cake before further reductions come into force.

The German solar feed-in tariffs were reduced by 13% at the beginning of 2011. On the 1 January this year, it fell by another 15% and by mid-year, it is expected to be reduced by a further 9%, BSW says.

The solar trade association says solar could contribute 10% of German electricity by 2020, but calls on Government to create stable policy and investor conditions for the solar industry in Germany.