Big changes are happening in #Germany. The country plans on increasing #energy generation from #solar and wind farms by an additional 8 gigawatts (GW) through the year 2021. More specifically, the governing coalition in Germany has approved supplemental tenders to add 4 gigawatts of solar in addition to 4 gigawatts of wind onshore. The government, as it seems, is attempting to make up for its choice to previously abandon firm emissions objectives.
The arrangement was accepted by the Social Democratic Party and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Union alliance earlier this year. In said agreement, there was a pledge to add 4 gigawatts of solar and an equal amount of onshore wind through special auctions. There is an obvious dedication to going solar and shifting the focus to clean, renewable energy. This is something we are seeing across the globe, and for good reason! But why the change in Germany?
Solar-Friendly Changes and Improvements
What led to this solar-friendly decision? What is changing in this beautiful country? Well, in Germany, power capacity has been increasing over the last few years as it relates to wind and solar by 5 gigawatts per year. And the 8 gigawatt solar and wind increase through 2021 is going to be in addition to these numbers. The fear was that Germany was at risk of missing its 2020 national emissions objective if no additional steps were taken, to some extent due to a higher than anticipated population and robust economic development. Boosting solar energy and clean energy generation overall seems to be a no-brainer.
Note: Government strategies to boost solar/clean energy production were approved by the Bundestag lower house (one of the legislative chambers of the Federal Republic of Germany) toward the end of November.
Perhaps just as exciting, there is a new objective which has been set forth by the government to increase the share of solar and green energy in the country’s consumption of electricity by the year 2030 to 65 percent (which is up from a third this past year).
According to this plan, the solar energy production subsidy will be cut to just under 9 euro cents, down from 11.09 euro cents.
Other Key Changes in Germany Worth Talking About
It is also worth noting that German electric utility, #Greenpeace Energy, planned a takeover bid for power plants and lignite open-cast mines presently belonging to RWE (German electric utilities company). The goal? To shut them down over the course of the next seven years. What would happen to these power plants? They would be replaced with #solar power and wind power plants! Clearly, solar and clean energy are becoming quite popular.
Why the Interest in Solar?
Why the push toward solar? People everywhere are enticed by solar and other clean energy sources for various reasons – one being a desire to save money on their utility bills. They also have an interest in helping the environment. Additionally, many believe that going solar is better for their health. It would be difficult to argue with these concepts. All across the globe, solar power is on the rise. As a matter of fact, according to Trinasolar, experts believe that solar power could become the largest source of electricity in the world by the year 2050. According to the same source, a pair of reports were released by the International Energy Agency representing a map outlining how up to 16 percent of the world’s electricity could be produced by solar PV systems. Moreover, an additional 11 percent of generation could come from solar thermal electricity. Let’s say these numbers are realistic – by the year 2050, this would drop global emissions each year by more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
The numbers are fantastic. It is great to see countries all across the globe taking advantage of the benefits of clean, green energy like solar power. Think about how clean/solar energy is being used where you live – are you seeing changes take place around you? What could your neighborhood or city do to make a positive difference for our planet? Perhaps others should follow Germany’s lead! Stay in the know by continuing to follow the latest solar news!
Sources:
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/11/30/what-changed-in-the-solar-energy-industry-in-november/
https://www.trinasolar.com/us/resources/blog/why-solar-power-so-popular
No comments:
Post a Comment