News Digest: Germany's solar capacity exceeds 39 GW
Institute of Renewable Energy Industry (IWR)
“Additions of new solar arrays speeds up in July – Total capacity exceeds threshold of 39,000 MW”
The addition of new PV-systems has increased significantly in July compared to June, but not enough to reach government targets for new solar generation capacity, according to the Institute of Renewable Energy Industry (IWR). New solar arrays with a total capacity of 160 megawatts were registered in July. This is a sharp increase compared to 96 MW in June. But a year ago, new arrays added up to 345 MW. “To achieve the government target of adding 2,400 to 2,600 MW per year, at least 200 MW would have to be added every month,” says the IWR press release.
Total PV capacity in Germany exceeded 39,000 MW for the first time in July. “Given current construction rates, the threshold of 40,000 MW probably won’t be reached this year,” according to the IWR.
Read the IWR press release in German here.
Read an article in pv magazine on solar additions in German here.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
“Electricity intelligence”
The economics ministry must be applauded for pushing smart metering in private households, writes Lukas Weber in a commentary for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). “Industry has been doing it for a while, so why shouldn’t households use washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and freezers when electricity is cheap? They could even charge their e-cars at those times. Everybody would benefit: Customers could take advantage of cheap power at night time, and grid operators could save on balancing power,” writes Weber.
Read the article in German here.
Süddeutsche Zeitung
“More gas, less coal”
The government plans to restrict financial support for new combined heat and power plants to systems that run on gas instead of coal, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The economics ministry, in a first draft for a reform of the law governing those stations, further suggests a special bonus should be introduced for operators of existing plants that switch from coal to gas, writes Michael Bauchmüller. The reform is meant to save four million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2020 and will add between nine and ten euros per year to an average household’s power bill, according to the report. Energy intensive companies warned the proposal would endanger industrial competitiveness.
Read the article in German here.
Read our Factsheet “Combined heat and power – an Energiewende cornerstone?” here.
Der Tagesspiegel/Süddeutsche Zeitung
“Our rescue is being negotiated in Bonn”
The current session of international climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany, deserves more attention, writes Stephan-Andreas Casdorff in a commentary for Tagesspiegel. Without the possibility to revisit and modify targets every five years, currently under negotiation, it would become almost impossible to limit the rise in global temperatures to two degrees Celsius, writes Casdorff.
The speedy start of negotiations in Bonn is a sign of hope, writes Michael Bauchmüller in a commentary for Süddeutsche Zeitung. It is further proof that China and the US are finally serious about climate protection, according to Bauchmüller.
Read the Tagesspiegel’s commentary in German here.
Read the commentary in Süddeutsche Zeitung in German here.
