The experiments SEPICA onboard ACE and STOF onboard SOHO provide information on
suprathermal heavy ion ionic charge states in solar energetic particle (SEP) events over
the extended energy range of  $\sim$ 0.01 to 0.55 MeV/nuc (for Fe). For events correlated
with interplanetary shocks the ionic charge states in this energy range are mostly
compatible with solar wind (SW) charge states or differ from SW charge states, e.g. for
Fe, by only 1 to 2 charge units. In SEP events of short duration, and enrichment in heavy
ions and 3He (usually called impulsive events), we find significantly higher ionic charge
states of $\sim$10 -11 (Mg), $\sim$11-12 (Si) and $\sim$14-20 (Fe), with a remarkable
increase of the mean ionic charge in this energy range by several charge states
($\sim$2-5 for Fe). This large increase of the mean ionic charge with energy at energies
$\le$ 1MeV/nuc can be best explained by additional ionization of the ions by charge
stripping in a sufficiently dense environment, during or after acceleration. A comparison
of the measured mean ionic charge of Mg, Si, and Fe with model calculations, including
the effect of energy dependent impact ionization by protons and electrons shows, that the
acceleration occurs in a dense environment, low in the corona, at distances less than 2
solar radii.