Phoenix Solar Founds Subsidiary In France
Phoenix Solar AG, a leading photovoltaic system integrator listed on the TecDAX, has founded a subsidiary in France. Phoenix Solar SAS, headquartered in Lyon, will take up operations at the start of October 2009. France is considered to be an attractive photovoltaic market with a huge growth potential.
Following on from an output of only 11 megawatt peak (MWp) in 2007, photovoltaic systems with a peak output of around 105 MWp had already been installed in 2008. Phoenix Solar expects the market to grow to almost 300 MWp in 2010. France could therefore take the lead ahead of a number of southern European markets.
The French feed-in law currently provides for attractive feed-in tariffs of EUR 0.3 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the mainland and EUR 0.4 per kWh for the Overseas Departments and Territories (DOM-TOM). In addition, there is a remuneration of EUR 0.25 per kWh for mainland and EUR 0.15 per KWh for DOM-TOM building-integrated photovoltaic systems. Similar to Germany, the feed-in tariffs will be paid for 20 years. Other incentives are offered in the form of tax alleviation such as, for instance, income tax credits. The aim of the government is to have renewable energies contributing 20 percent to the energy supply by 2020 which, in the case of photovoltaics, means a target of 5,400 megawatts installed by 2020.
The French subsidiary will emulate the tried-and-tested business model of its German parent and will therefore cover the businesses of Components & Systems (wholesale) and Power Plants. As Phoenix Solar has maintained relationships with French installation businesses since 2008, the newly founded subsidiary will be able to build on an already existing sales and distribution network.
Bernard Mormiche has been appointed managing director of the newly founded Phoenix Solar subsidiary. The 51-year-old Frenchman is a Master of Business Administration and has long-standing sales experience, his last position being head of European sales of a leading French mechanical engineering company. “I am really looking forward to my new tasks”, said Mormiche, “and to making my contribution to positioning Phoenix Solar in the up-and-coming French photovoltaic market”.
“We have selected Lyon as the location for Phoenix Solar because the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions are among France’s most important economic areas“, said Ulrich Reidenbach, Chief Sales Officer of Phoenix Solar AG.
SOURCE: Phoenix Solar
