Renewable energy in Germany

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The share of electricity from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 percent in 2000 to over 14 percent in 2007. More than 9 billion euros (US$12.7 billion) was invested in new renewable energy installations in Germany in 2006. Some 240,000 people in Germany were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2006, especially in small and medium sized companies. Over half of these jobs are attributed to the Renewable Energy Sources Act.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Renewable energy targets

Since 1997, Germany and the other states of the European Union have been working towards a target of 12% renewable energy by 2010. This target was surpassed already in 2007 when the renewable energy share in Germany reached 14%.[3] On April 26, 2007, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel announced that this target would rise to 27% by 2020. Electricity use is to be cut by 11%, and the number of cogeneration plants is to double.[4]

The following table shows the increases in renewable energy production over recent years in TWh: [5]

Renewable energy
Wind Turbine
Biofuels
Biomass
Geothermal
Hydro power
Solar power
Tidal power
Wave power
Wind power
Year Hydropower Wind power Biomass Landfill biogas Photovoltaic Geothermal power Total Share
1990 17.000 40 222 1.200 1 0 18.463 3,4%
1995 21.600 1.800 670 1.350 11 0 25.431 4,7%
2000 24.936 7.550 2.279 1.850 64 0 36.679 6,3%
2001 23.383 10.509 3.206 1.859 116 0 39.073 6,7%
2002 23.824 15.786 4.017 1.945 188 0 45.760 7,8%
2003 20.350 18.859 6.970 2.162 313 0 48.654 7,9%
2004 21.000 25.509 8.347 2.116 557 0,2 57.529 9,3%
2005 21.524 27.229 10.495 3.039 1.282 0,2 63.569 10,4%
2006 20.000 30.700 15.490 3.639 2.220 0,4 72.049 11,7%
2007 20.700 39.500 19.500 4.250 3.500 0,4 87.450 14,2%

[edit] Policy

The renewable energy sector benefited when the Alliance '90/The Greens party joined the Federal Government between 1998 and 2005. The renewable energy sector was aided especially by the law that required businesses to buy energy generated from renewable sources first before buying energy from non-renewable sources. People who produce energy in their own homes have a guarantee by the government that they can sell their 'product' at fixed prices for a period of 20 years. This has created a surge in the production of clean energy.

For the 2005-2010 period the Federal Government set aside nearly 800 million euros for scientific research in the country. That research is going to be earmarked for policies of long-lasting development.

Additionally, in 2001 a law passed requiring the closing of all nuclear power plants within a period of 32 years. The idea is that in 2020 nuclear energy will not be used anywhere in the country.

The German energy policy is framed within the European Union, and the March 2007 European Council in Brussels approved a mandatory energy plan that requires a 20% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions before the year 2020 and the consumption of renewable energies to be 20% of total EU consumption (compared to 7% in 2006)[6]. The accord indirectly acknowledged the role of nuclear energy -- which is not renewable -- in the reduction of the emission of Greenhouse gas, allowing each member state to decide whether or not to use nuclear generated electricity.

Also a compromise was reached to achieve a minimum quota of 10% Biofuels in the total consumption of gasoline and Diesel in transport in 2020.

See also: Nuclear energy policy, Berlin Declaration (2007), Common Foreign and Security Policy

[edit] Wind power

Erection of an Enercon E70-4 in Germany
Erection of an Enercon E70-4 in Germany
See main article: Wind power in Germany

Germany is the world's largest user of wind power with an installed capacity of 20,621 MW in 2006, ahead of Spain which had an installed capacity of 11,615 MW.[7] More than 18,000 wind turbines are located in the German federal area and the country has plans to build more wind turbines.[8]

Wind power currently produces about six percent of Germany's total power and it is said that no other country has more technological know-how in this area. Wind power in Germany provides over 70,000 people with jobs and German wind energy systems are also exported.[9]

However, the economics of wind power in Germany are under close scrutiny[10] and there are other issues which deserve consideration. These include the effect of wind turbines on the landscape, the effect on the bird population, and the effect on the tourist industry.[11] [12]

[edit] Photovoltaic solar power

See also: Solar power in Germany

Germany overtook Japan as the world's largest producer of PV electricity in 2005 with 39% of world capacity compared to 38% for Japan.[13] Germany was also the fastest growing major photovoltaic (PV) market in the world in 2005. In 2005, 837 megawatts of PV were installed. The German PV industry generates over 10,000 jobs in production, distribution and installation. Over 90% of solar PV installations are in grid-tied applications in Germany. The balance is off-grid (or stand alone) systems.[14]

Completed in 2006, the 12 MW Solarpark Gut Erlasee photovoltaic system, near Arnstein in Bavaria, is currently the world's largest PV system.[15] The 10 MW Solarpark Bavaria in Germany was also the largest PV installation when completed in 2005, covering 25 hectares (62 acres) with 57,600 photovoltaic panels.[16]

The Pocking Solar Park is a 10 megawatt (MWp) solar power plant which is among the largest photovoltaic solar power plants in the world. Construction and assembly of the power plant started in August 2005 and was completed in March 2006. On the former military training area in the Lower-Bavarian town of Pocking, sheep are now grazing under and around the 57,912 photovoltaic modules.[17]

Building approval has been given for the Waldpolenz Solar Park, which will be the world’s biggest photovoltaic (PV) power system, at a former military air base to the east of Leipzig in Germany. The power plant will be a 40-megawatt solar power system using state-of-the-art thin film technology, and should be finished by the end of 2009.[18] 550,000 First Solar thin-film modules will be used, which will supply 40,000MWh of electricity per year.[19]

At the end of 2004, 79% of all European electricity production capacity from photovoltaic was in Germany, where 794 MWp had been installed.[citation needed] At the end of 2006 Germany had already 3100 MWp installed. (Europe: 3400 MWp).[citation needed] The European Commission anticipates that Germany may have installed around 4,500 MWp by 2010.[20]

[edit] Renewable energy industry

Enercon E-112
Enercon E-112

Germany's renewable energy sector is among the most innovative and successful worldwide. Nordex, Repower, and Enercon are wind power companies based in Germany. SolarWorld and Conergy are solar power companies based in Germany. These companies dominate the world market. Every third solar panel and every second wind rotor is made in Germany, and German turbines and generators used in hydro energy generation are among the most popular worldwide.[21]

Nearly 800,000 people work in the German environment technology sector; an estimated 214,000 people work with renewables in Germany, up from 157,000 in 2004, an increase of 36 percent.[22]

Germany's main competitor is Japan, with which it dominates the solar energy sector.[23]

[edit] See also

Energy Portal
Germany Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ Press release BMU
  2. ^ Germany Leads Way on Renewables, Sets 45% Target by 2030
  3. ^ Share in electricity supply has gone up to 14 per cent
  4. ^ Germany sets tougher goals to protect climate, Reuters, published 2007-04-26, accessed 2007-04-27.
  5. ^ Daten zur Entwicklung der erneuerbaren Energien im Jahr 2007
  6. ^ EU2007.de - Historical agreement on climate protection
  7. ^ Global wind energy markets continue to boom – 2006 another record year
  8. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  9. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  10. ^ Germany's wind farms challenged
  11. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  12. ^ Renewable energies: between climate protection and nature conservation?
  13. ^ Japan lags behind Europe in solar power, The Daily Yomiuri, published 2007-05-10, accessed 2007-05-14
  14. ^ German PV market
  15. ^ SunPower Announces the Opening of SOLON's Solarpark Gut Erlasse
  16. ^ Solarpark Bavaria
  17. ^ The world’s largest photovoltaic solar power plant is in Pocking
  18. ^ Building Approval Granted for 40 MW Photovoltaic Project
  19. ^ World’s largest solar power plant being built in eastern Germany
  20. ^ Innovation and technological development in energy
  21. ^ Green energy boom in Germany
  22. ^ Green energy boom in Germany
  23. ^ Green energy boom in Germany

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