Reuters exclusive on solar demand lifts sector

Reuters kept its clients ahead of the curve on Nov 23 when the head of the Berlin-based BSW German solar power association said in an interview that there was a powerful late-year rally in Germany, the world’s largest market. He said that up to a record 3 gigawatt of solar power would be installed in 2009 — a powerful upward revision from the association’s official forecast of 2.5 gigawatt early last month. After the report, there were strong gains in solar share prices on a weaker Frankfurt bourse. Q-Cells gained 2.1 pct, Solarworld was up 1.1 pct, and Conergy gained 1.3 pct even though the overall DAX index was down 0.55 pct. The Reuters report was widely quoted in other media and internet reports around the world.