Old but gold? Germany's renewable energy sources after 20-year support

The guaranteed feed-in support payments for renewable energy installations has been at the heart of Germany's energy transition since it was introduced in 2000. The fixed payments customers cover with their electricity bill expire after 20 years, a mechanism that will affect a growing share of the country's wind and solar power installations over the coming decade. As a result, operators could run into economic difficulties although the hardware still is fully functional from a technological perspective. From direct supply agreements between power producers and customers to personal use, many ideas exist about how renewable power sources can be kept operating to make sure that their capacity is not shrinking as the country strives to meet its climate targets.