NO CLOUDS ON GERMAN SOLAR

They are building up wind and solar and stepping back from coal and nuclear; what do the Germans know that the rest of the world does not?

Cloudy Germany a Powerhouse in Solar Energy
Craig Whitlock (with Shannon Smiley), May 5, 2007 (Washington Post)

WHO
German political leaders (Matthias Machnik, undersecretary, ministry of the environment) and solar industry leaders

WHAT
The German solar industry leads the world in manufacturing solar panels and producing solar energy for electricity, despite not having an especially sunny climate.

WHEN
- A 2000 law stabilized guaranteed remuneration for solar energy production, incentivizing German entrepreneurs, who have not looked back since.
- Renewables goal: 25% by 2020.
- Solar goal: 3% of total energy production by 2020.
- Nuclear plants: will be phased out by 2020.

WHERE
- Bavaria: Solarpark Gut Erlasee, world’s largest solar plant;
- Brandis, north of Espenhain: a new 40 megawatt (10,000 homes) plant
- Espenhain: Geosol plant

WHY
Germany seeks to use renewable energy to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, now sixth highest in the world. Photovoltaic m,anufacturers employ 40,000. 15,00 more work in solar-thermal. German exports were 15% of world solar panel sales in 2006, producing $9.5 billion and growing at 20% annually. Germany has, in the past, relied heavily on coal, a very dirty, noisy energy. They have reacted favorably to quiet, low profile solar installations but have objected to the aesthetics wind turbines.
solar energy potential/Europe (click to enlarge)
QUOTES
- Machnik: "Unless climate change accelerates, we only have a certain amount of available hours of sunshine…For us, of course we will use solar power, but it is more important to secure the know-how for research and development."
- Carsten Koernig, managing director, German Solar Industry Association: "It's been very important to create the necessary market in Germany…We not only want to master the German market, but to conquer the world market as well."
- Juergen Frisch, mayor of Espenhain: "This region was known as the dirtiest in all of Europe…The solar plant came at a very good time for Espenhain. It's helped to change our image."
- Hans-Joerg Koch, Geosol plant manager: "We are still producing at the moment, even when we have overcast or rainy conditions…"