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At the end of [[2006]] '''renewable energy in Germany''' provided 11.9% of Germany's energy production, an increase from 8% in [[2005]]. In 2006, 235.000 people were employed in the German renewable energy industry, especially in small and medium sized companies.<ref>[http://www.bmu.de/pressemitteilungen/aktuelle_pressemitteilungen/pm/39983.php Press release BMU]</ref>
The share of electricity from '''renewable energy in Germany''' has increased from 6.3 percent in 2000 to 12 percent in 2006. 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.<ref>[http://www.bmu.de/pressemitteilungen/aktuelle_pressemitteilungen/pm/39983.php Press release BMU]</ref>


==Renewable energy targets==
==Renewable energy targets==

Revision as of 21:39, 2 November 2007

The share of electricity from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 percent in 2000 to 12 percent in 2006. 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]

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. 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.[2]

The following table shows the increases in renewable energy production over recent years, and the percentage of national energy supply contributed by each in 2006: [3]

Part of a series on
Renewable energy
Fuel type 2004 2005 2006 2006
Hydropower 21.7 GWh 20.8 GWh 21.6 GWh 3.5%
Wind power 25.5 GWh 27.2 GWh 30.5 GWh 5.0%
Biomass 8.4 GWh 11.2 GWh 15.5 GWh 2.5%
Landfill biogas 2.1 GWh 3.0 GWh 3.6 GWh 0.6%
Photovoltaic 0.6 GWh 1.3 GWh 2.0 GWh 0.3%
Total 58.3 GWh 63.5 GWh 73.2 GWh 11.9%

Policy

The renewable energy sector benefited when the European Free Alliance 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 millon 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 aproved an 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)[4]. 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

Wind power

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.[5] More than 18,000 wind turbines are located in the German federal area and the country has plans to build more wind turbines.[6]

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.[7]

However, the economics of wind power in Germany are under close scrutiny[8] 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.[9] [10]

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.[11] 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.[12]

Completed in 2006, the 12 MW Solarpark Gut Erlasee photovoltaic system, near Arnstein in Bavaria, is currently the world's largest PV system.[13] 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.[14]

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.[15]

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.[16] 550,000 First Solar thin-film modules will be used, which will supply 40,000MWh of electricity per year.[17]

At the end of 2004, 79% of all European electricity production capacity from photovoltaic was in Germany, where 794 MWp had been installed. At the end of 2006 Germany had already 3100 MWp installed. (Europe: 3400 MWp). The European Commission anticipates that Germany may have installed around 4,500 MWp by 2010.[18]

Renewable energy industry

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.[19]

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.[20]

Germany's main competitor is Japan, with which it dominates the solar energy sector.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Press release BMU
  2. ^ Germany sets tougher goals to protect climate, Reuters, published 2007-04-26, accessed 2007-04-27.
  3. ^ Zwölf Prozent Ökostrom in Deutschland
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Global wind energy markets continue to boom – 2006 another record year
  6. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  7. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  8. ^ Germany's wind farms challenged
  9. ^ Wind energy in Germany -- overview
  10. ^ Renewable energies: between climate protection and nature conservation?
  11. ^ Japan lags behind Europe in solar power, The Daily Yomiuri, published 2007-05-10, accessed 2007-05-14
  12. ^ German PV market
  13. ^ SunPower Announces the Opening of SOLON's Solarpark Gut Erlasse
  14. ^ Solarpark Bavaria
  15. ^ The world’s largest photovoltaic solar power plant is in Pocking
  16. ^ Building Approval Granted for 40 MW Photovoltaic Project
  17. ^ World’s largest solar power plant being built in eastern Germany
  18. ^ Innovation and technological development in energy
  19. ^ Green energy boom in Germany
  20. ^ Green energy boom in Germany
  21. ^ Green energy boom in Germany

External links

In the media

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