Renewable Energy Made in Germany

Energy Renewable Energy Made in Germany www.renewables-made-in-germany.com Edited by Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology) Öffentlichkeitsarbeit/IA8 Helmut Sendner Energie- und Management Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Schloß Mühlfeld, D-82211 Herrsching www.emvg.de Production and design PRpetuum GmbH, Munich Printing Silber Druck oHG Picture credits Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Federal Ministry for the Envrionment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, E.ON, Fotolia (Title, p. 13, p. 39), Siemens Published by The Federal Ministry of Economics and Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft Technology has been presented with the audit und Technologie (Federal Ministry of Economics and berufundfamilie® award for its family-friendly Technology) human resources policy. The certificate is issued Öffentlichkeitsarbeit/IA8 by berufundfamilie eGmbH, an initiative of 10115 Berlin “Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung”, the Hertie Germany Foundation. www.bmwi.de As at March 2008 Energy Renewable Energy Made in Germany 2 Table of Contents Renewable energies for climate protection . 3 Hydropower: sources without emissions . 8 Geothermics: energy from underneath the earth’s surface . 11 Biomass: growing each day . 14 Wind power: turbines for clean electricity . 18 Photovoltaics: the infinite power . 21 Solar thermal power: harnessing the sun’s heat . 24 Promoting exports of renewable energies . 27 Energy efficiency – made in Germany . 37 Renewable energies – Internet addresses . 39 Renewable energies for climate protection 3 Renewable energies for climate protection Climate protection is one of the greatest environmen- pledged to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by tal challenges of our times. There is meanwhile ample at least five percent compared to 1990 levels between scientific evidence to indicate that the climate is 2008 and 2012. Germany made an above-average chang ing. There is growing evidence of the conse- contribution towards accomplishing this climate quences of progressive climate change. In the Ant arc - policy goal with the National Climate Protection tic, huge chunks are breaking off age-old glaciers; Programme it launched in 2005 by pledging to re - storms, droughts and floods are becoming ever more duce its carbon dioxide emissions by 21 percent com- frequent. pared to 1990 levels and in doing so, assumed the role of an international pioneer early one. Carbon dioxide emissions resulting, inter alia, from the combustion of fossil energies such as coal, The Fourth Report by the Intergovernmental crude oil and natural gas are causing this climate Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations pub- change. Since the beginning of industrialisation in lished in the spring of 2007 highlights more clearly the second half of the 18th century, the concentration than ever before the risks associated with man-made of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by climate change. In order to avoid far-reaching conse- more than 30 percent and is hence higher than ever quences, global warming will need to be reduced before in the past 420,000 years. from 1.5°C to 2.5°C. This finding has raised aware- ness among the international community of the need In order to avoid a natural disaster, it is essential to sustainably reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Swift that global greenhouse gas emissions be reduced. and decisive action also needs to be taken at political This task can only be conquered if the international level, not least in view of the fear of the consequences community takes concerted action. The industri- this might have on global economic trends. alised countries as the main producers of man-made carbon dioxide emissions have a special responsibility Under Germany’s EU Council Presidency led by for doing so. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in the first half of 2007, new goals were therefore defined and adopted They have accepted this responsibility at numer- to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the countries ous international climate summits and have adopted of the European Union by 30 percent on average action plans to reduce the greenhouse gas effect. before 2020 compared to 1990 levels and to reduce them by between 60 and 80 percent before 2050 com- The Kyoto Protocol that was adopted in 1997 and pared to 1990 levels. entered into force in 2005 was one of the very first milestones for the adoption of a global climate pro- Germany is actually striving to reduce its carbon tection policy. In the Kyoto Protocol, the vast majority dioxide emissions by 40 percent before 2020. The of industrialised countries and threshold countries Integrated Energy and Climate Programme adopted 4 Renewable energies for climate protection by the Federal Government in December 2007 envis- practically an infinite number of ways in which these ages, inter alia, increasing the share of renewable energy resources can be used. Wind parks and bio- energies in electricity generation from currently mass, hydropower and geothermal plants can gener- 13 percent to between 25 and 30 percent during the ate large volumes of electricity whereas photovol - same period and is aiming to increase energy effi- taics, i.e. solar power plants are particularly suitable ciency by three percent per annum. for small power generation systems. These power plants make it possible to provide a basic electricity When the eight leading industrialised countries supply to remote, non-electrified regions. Biomass, came together at the G 8-summit that was held in geothermal and solar thermal heating also supply hot Heiligendamm in June 2007 under the chairmanship water, central heating for residential dwellings and of the Federal Chancellor, the countries participating even whole apartment blocks. Biomass in the form of agreed to set common climate protection goals and vegetable oils can be processed into fuels for transport. to implement them within the framework of the United Nations. The aim is to reduce global carbon The Kyoto Protocol currently envisages industri- dioxide emissions by at least 50 percent compared to alised countries trading their agreed emission reduc- 1990 by 2050. How this is to be accomplished will be tions in exchange with other countries. So-called flex- specified in the follow-up agreement to the Kyoto ible mechanisms offer three possibilities: Protocol which is due to enter into force by 2012 at the latest. 3 A country acquires emission rights from another industrialised country or threshold country (“emis- In principle, there are three ways in which car- sions trading”). bon dioxide emissions can be reduced, namely by saving energy, by using energy efficient technologies 3 A country implements a project in another and by increasing the use of renewable energies. By industrialised country or threshold country that is saving energy and using energy efficient technolo- aimed at reducing emissions and acquires emission gies, it will be possible to reduce energy consumption rights in return (“joint implementation”). and carbon dioxide emissions in the short term. Yet only renewable energies will enable global energy 3 A country implements a project in a developing supply to be shaped sustainably and in an environ- country aimed at sustainable, climate-compatible mentally compatible way in the long term. Solar ener- development and acquires emission reduction credits gy, wind power, biomass, hydropower and geother- in return (“clean development mechanism”). mal energy are the earth’s natural energy resources; they do not release any polluting emissions. There is It is precisely the last two mechanisms which renewable energies play an important role for. Old coal- burning power plants that are harmful to the climate can be replaced by wind power plants or biomass power plants in threshold countries. In developing countries, small hydropower plants and photovoltaic plants make it possible to electrify rural regions for the very first time, without harming the climate. 5 Renewable energies in Germany Environment to promote measures to use renewable energies. The programme supports the installation of Because of the huge benefits of renewable energies, heat generation plants from regenerative energies by the European Union decided to increase its share of granting low-interest loans and subsidies. Since the European primary energy consumption from cur- programme was launched and up to the end of 2006, rently 6.6 percent to 20 percent before 2020. The over 523,600 solar collector plants covering an area Federal Republic of Germany is aiming to increase of around 4.6 million square metres had been subsi- the share of regenerative energies in primary energy dized. From 2007 onwards, the programme was con- consumption by at least 10 percent before 2020 and to tinued under new promotion guidelines. EUR 213 mil- use regenerative energies to cover 25 to 30 percent of lion were spent on this programme, with funding energy supply. The expansion of renewable energies being topped up to EUR 350,000 in 2008. The sum of in Germany has been a real success story up to now. EUR 500 million has been earmarked for 2009. This Their share in electricity generation has increased will provide for a sustained installation boom, with greatly in all areas since 2000. The share of regenera- market penetration of regenerative energies in the tive energies in final energy consumption rose from thermal industry gathering apace. Solar energy can 3.8 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2006, meaning it also be used to generate

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