G8 Environmental Futures Forum 2000

Detailed Description of Best Practices
Germany No.4

I. Title of the Best Practice

Increasing Use of Renewables

II. Overview of the Best Practice

The promotion of renewable energies is a further important factor in the German Government's national climate protection policy. In the mid to long term, renewable energies must contribute considerably more to the power supply than is at present the case. The goal is to accelerate the development of renewable energies, to at least double their current share by 2010, and to met a 50% share by the year 2050.
The share of renewable energies in the primary energy balance or in power generation is currently very low (2% and 5% respectively). The German Government has already intensified its activities aimed at placing regenerative energies as alternatives to the present energy supply, and at considerably increasing their market share. The Government will intensify this action, together with activities being carried out on the Länder level.

An important measure on the Federal level is the further development of the Act on the Sale of Electricity to the Grid as a basis for investment security for renewable energy production. The Act on the Sale of Electricity to the Grid adopted unanimously by the German Bundestag in 1990 has proven to be very successful in the past few years. In its present form, however, it is increasingly coming up against limitations. The so-called '5% ceiling', for example, already necessitates an amendment to allow those plant operators selling renewable energies to the grid to continue to benefit from payment. EU legal aspects must also be taken into consideration, and furthermore, the currently apparent decline in electricity prices demands a swift amendment with a new payment regulation, one which is no longer linked to the average proceeds from electricity.

In the area of wind power in particular, this law enabled vital impulses promoting new wind power stations, and the creation and maintenance of jobs in this context. Germany is currently a leader in wind power, with approximately 4,000 MW of installed output (expected for the end of 1999), and approximately 15,000 - 20,000 directly and indirectly connected jobs. Similar developments are in the pipeline for harnessing solar-thermal power (collector surfaces for hot water preparation) and biomass energy. Federal Environment minister Jürgen Trittin is the patron of the campaign for solar energy 'solar na klar'. Both this campaign and assistance programmes will help to promote the use of solar power.

In addition, the German Government launched 2 new assistance programmes for renewable energies in 1999:

  • on 1 January 1999, the so-called 100,000 roofs solar power programme began installing a total of approximately 300 MW photovoltaics output, to be completed by 2005.
  • on 1 September 1999, the assistance programme for close to the market renewable energies was launched (assistance to the amount of 200 million DM in 1999). In particular, solar thermal plants, energy from biomass and biogases, geothermal power and small hydropower stations will be assisted.
Detailed Description of Best Practices - Germany No.4

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