4 Reasons Why Germany Is A Renewable Energy Success Story
A few weeks ago, I visited Intersolar North America, an exhibition for photovoltaics, solar thermal technology, and solar thermal architecture. The exhibition, which was previously only held in Germany, had an understandably large German presence (including a large beer garden). During my time there, I stopped by the German Energy Agency booth, and was quite impressed with what I found. So, without further ado, here are 4 reasons why we should be paying a whole lot of attention to the Germany renewable energy market.
1. Germany has the world’s largest wind power sector— but had barely any notable wind power at all 16 years ago.
With over 20,600 MW of installed capacity, Germany is the world’s wind power leader. And they accomplished this feat pretty quickly, having had less than 100 MW in 1992. The second place wind leader, Spain, only has approximately 12,000 MW of capacity.
2. The country has the world’s second largest solar power market, despite having extremely cloudy weather.
Germany comes in as number 2 for solar power, with 750 MW of peak capacity as of 2006. However, it is far and away the European leader for photovoltaic capacity, with a capacity of 3063 MW. Additionally, the world’s largest solar cell producer (Q-Cells) is located there. Oh, and the country also has the largest solar thermal market in Europe.
3. Over 214,000 people work in the German domestic renewable energy industry.
With 2.3 million renewable energy workers worldwide, Germany once again takes the cake as a pioneering country. Last year, German companies accounted for 38 percent of the total wind energy market.
4. They have progressive renewable energy laws.
The German government has just agreed on a new climate change legislative package with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions up to 36 percent by 2020. German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel calls it the biggest climate change package in the world.
Posts Related to Germany/Intersolar:
- Germans Debate Renewable Energy Supports
- Intersolar North America Coming To San Francisco
- AquaSystem Makes Solar Thermal Accessible To The Masses
[...] 4 Reasons Why Germany Is A Renewable Energy Success Story : CleanTechnica A few weeks ago, I visited Intersolar North America, an exhibition for photovoltaics, solar thermal technology, and solar thermal architecture. The exhibition, which was previously only held in Germany, had an understandably large German presence (including a large beer garden). During my time there, I stopped by the German Energy Agency booth, and was quite impressed with what I found. So, without further ado, here are 4 reasons why we should be paying a whole lot of attention to the Germany renewable energy market. [...]
[...] 4 Reasons Why Germany Is A Renewable Energy Success Story [...]
While its great that Germany is doing such a great job in rolling out wind there is some inconsistency that I noted with another article posted on this same site last week ( http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/11/us-kind-of-a-world-leader-in-wind-power-generation/ ). In that article it was noted that the US was at 19,549 MW leading the AWEA to announcing that America is now the US world leader in wind electricity generation. This article, however, states that the leaders are Germany at 20,600 MW of installed capacity and Spain at number two having 12,000 MW of capacity with no mention of the United States. Anyone care to comment on this apparent discrepancy?
Being from Germany I can only tell that Germany Is A Renewable Energy Total Disaster Story.
Germans pay 40 % taxes on their electricity bill. This money is then redistributed mostly to support inefficient photovoltaic installations. Totally about 3 billion euro annually. Even after 5 years of such heavy subsidies PV merely accounts for 2 % of the total generation. But average electricity costs doubled.
Needless to say that Germany is not the sunniest place on Earth. Such subsidies bring nothing. Just another corruption scheme.
Only in Germany CEO of the major local energy company (E.On, 25 % market share) can tell that the whopping average 25 cents per kW*h is in fact “very low price” and electricity should cost significantly more. In fact, average salary in Germany is only 1400 euro per month. Profits of E.On increased several times during the last 5 years without significant increase in generation output.
Very interesting facts about Germany’s renewable energy sector.They should help the developing countries with their expertise and that too in a big manner.
Saad
http://www.socialbridges.org/
Reality check August 23, 2008
Don’t forget that Germans pay 1.50 Euro per liter for gas. (That’s over $8.50 per gallon at today’s price and exchange rates. It was over $9 per gallon a couple of weeks ago.) Most of that is for taxes for those nice things mentioned above. I just got a notice yesterday that natural gas and electricity are increasing in price this year again. (We live in Germany.) I’m not complaining, just informing of some of the daily costs of the progress to the normal individual citizens .
We can become our own private power plant if we are willing to spend 20,000 - 30,000 Euro ($30,000 - $45,000) to have photovoltiac panels installed on our roof. But we can’t use the energy produced directly. It is sold to the electric grid, and we must still buy it back from an electricity provider. Depending on the size and exposure of the roof, and quality of the panels, the costs are supposed to break even in 10-20 years for the average household (just about the time the panels will need replacing–or better electricity producing models will be available at a higher cost.)
Just about anywhere a constant wind is blowing, a huge wind mill will appear. Some beautiful German country sides now have 10’s if not a hundred or so in wind mill farms. But they are not quiet either. In the stillness of the night you can hear them churning. They are pretty fascinating to watch though. Some will stop spinning when a nice breeze is blowing and others will continue churning away. That seems to be a waste of wind and investment to me.
In summary, there’s still no free lunch. Switching over to renewable energy sources has its advantages and disadvantage AND it will cost everyone something. The leadership of Germany in this area is costing its citizens–in this great energy experiment. Our energy prices are still increasing here instead of falling as would be expected from a leading country. Those promoting such progress, must realize the costs to the individuals–all individuals that might not even have the resources for computers and connections to respond to these things. If Germany can sell its technology and products to other countries, even with the strong and expensive Euro, then it will continue to be a leader in energy and this experiment and leadership will not break the German bank.
Very Usefull Information, thank you very much.
If the U.S. had chosen to be a moral people, and leaving Iraqi oil alone, and following Al Gore, decided to develop the South Western deserts, with the technology of the times - solar/thermal-molten sodium - electricity installations, for the same amount of money as that war cost, ($650 Billion), today, we would be tapping into the largest, renewable, sustainable, energy source the world has ever known. It would have paid every energy bill in the U.S.A. for maintenance fees only - FOREVER! It would be equivalent to an oil field that can NEVER run dry! Low cost electric power, and storeable hydrogen gasoline replacement from the electricity, for all!
After the millions of murders, and $650 billions of dollars, borrowed from our children’s futures and pissed away, with thousands of our own and others maimed and disfigured for life, millions of families utterly destroyed, ours and theirs, we are no closer to Iraqi oil production than the Iraqis are!
The next time you hear a blithering idiot spoiled brat, drunken, drug addicted, sociopath, rich Arabic saber dancing daddie’s boy oilman, stand at a microphone and threaten YOUR safety with someone ELSE’S weapons, remember what you lost America, remember, and weep! (also see http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan)
[...] over time under European Cap and Trade legislation. To meet those goals it must get 30% and possibly now 36% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 with wind energy providing probably half of [...]