Remap, Renewable Energy Prospects: Germany

RENEWABLE ENERGY PROSPECTS: RENEWABLE ENERGY PROSPECTS: GERMANY GERMANY November 2015 Copyright © IRENA 2015 Unless otherwise stated, this publication and material featured herein are the property of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and are subject to copyright by IRENA. Material in this publication may be freely used, shared, copied, reproduced, printed and/or stored, provided that all such material is clearly attributed to IRENA and bears a notation that it is subject to copyright (© IRENA 2015). Material contained in this publication attributed to third parties may be subject to third-party copyright and separate terms of use and restrictions, including restrictions in relation to any commercial use. About IRENA The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. Acknowledgements This report has benefited from valuable comments or guidance provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), with special thanks to Jörn Rauhut, Thorsten Rüther, Martin Schöpe and Ellen von Zitzewitz. Additional review was provided by the BMWi (Marius Backhaus, Benedikt Günter, Stephanie Lehmann, Aike Müller, Nicolas Oetzel, Maximilian Ramezani, Max Rathmann, Kenan Šehović); the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (Cornelia Marschel, Thomas Weber); the Federal Foreign Office (Hans Köppel, Jose Schulz, Johannes Uhl); The Jacques Delors Institute (Philipp Offenberg, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin); Clean Energy Wire (Sven Egenter); the German Renewable Energies Agency (Alexander Knebel); the German Renewable Energy Federation (Björn Pieprzyk); Agora Energiewende (Matthias Deutsch, Dimitri Pescia); the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (Sybille Röhrkasten, Dominik Schäuble) and the European Commission (Alexandra Sombsthay). The report benefited significantly from input and comments provided during an expert review workshop held in Berlin at the BMWi in September, 2015. IRENA would like to thank all those that attended for their valuable input. This report also benefited from two internal meetings with BMWi in May and August 2015, and IRENA would like to thank all attendees who participated in those meetings as well. Valuable comments were provided by IRENA colleagues Rabia Ferroukhi, Timothy Hurst, Paul Komor, Marianne Lavergne, Elizabeth Press, Steffen Taschner, Salvatore Vinci and Dennis Volk. Lisa Mastny was the editor of this report. IRENA is grateful for the generous support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, which made the publication of this report a reality. Authors: Dolf Gielen (IRENA), Deger Saygin (IRENA), and Nicholas Wagner (IRENA); special thanks are due to Sven Teske. For further information or to provide feedback, please contact the REmap team: [email protected] Report citation: IRENA (2015), Renewable Energy Prospects: Germany, REmap 2030 analysis. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi, www.irena.org/remap Disclaimer This publication and the material featured herein are provided “as is”, for informational purposes. All reasonable precautions have been taken by IRENA to verify the reliability of the material featured in this publication. Neither IRENA nor any of its officials, agents, data or other third-party content providers or licensors provides any warranty, including as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose or use of such material, or regarding the non-infringement of third-party rights, and they accept no responsibility or liability with regard to the use of this publication and the material featured therein. The information contained herein does not necessarily represent the views of the Members of IRENA, nor is it an endorsement of any project, product or service provider. The designations employed and the presentation of material herein do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of IRENA concerning the legal status of any region, country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. FOREWORD Germany is a leader in the global transition to a renewable energy future. With its forward-looking energy policy and decades of support for renewables, the country has played an important role in propelling clean, sustainable energy from niche technologies into the mainstream. Germany’s energy transition, or Energiewende, is an evolving effort that engages government, private industry and civil society, and that is set to continue to 2030 and beyond. The Energiewende has become the flagship for the ongoing global energy transition and has also inspired other countries to reinforce and grow their ambitions to increase renewable energy use. The German energy system has already been transformed by steadily increasing shares of renewables. The next 15 years, however, will demonstrate the wide-ranging implications of the Energiewende and point to the solutions Germany needs to realise its ambitious long-term energy and climate goals. Those solutions will be at the forefront of integrating new technological advances in the integration of variable renewable power, as well as innovative finance and business models, and serve as a model for global energy transition. REmap Germany provides an overview of the progress to date in the country’s energy transition. It also identifies where further action can be taken. Germany’s ambitious goals include securing more than half of its electricity supply and just under a third of its total final energy from renewable sources by 2030. The REmap analysis – conducted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with national and international experts – suggests the country has the potential to achieve an even higher level of ambition. Germany will, however, need to make additional efforts to maximise its renewables potential, particularly if it is to harness the vast potentials of renewables for heat and transport. The expansion of the Energiewende in those sectors provides a way forward. Continued integration of European energy markets is also essential for Germany and others to fulfil their renewable energy potentials. This report demonstrates that the benefits of the energy transition on the whole outweigh the costs. Renewable energy deployment reduces human health and environmental externalities, reduces fossil fuel imports, boosts economic growth and can cut energy system costs over the long term. This report is based on the conclusion that Germany can continue to lead the global transition to a renewable energy future. By taking the necessary steps now, at this crucial stage in the Energiewende, the country will ultimately succeed in its goal of building a healthy, prosperous, competitive and environmentally sustainable future through renewable energy. IRENA is honoured to be working together with Germany to define this new energy paradigm. Adnan Z. Amin Director-General IRENA REmap 2030 analysis i CONTENTS FOREWORD ��I LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................................................................................IV LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................................................................................................VI LIST OF BOXES ��VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................................................1 1 INTRODUCTION ��7 2 METHODOLOGY AND DATA ...............................................................................................................................................10 3 GERMANY’S ENERGIEWENDE: MARKET FRAMEWORKS AND ECONOMIC RESULTS .............................13 3.1 The Energiewende and the evolution of Germany’s renewable energy policies ..................................15 3.2 Tariffs and costs of the Energiewende ................................................................................................................. 27 3.3 Market design and electricity pricing .................................................................................................................... 32 3.4 Renewable heating and cooling in the building sector ..................................................................................36

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