Even though Germany reduced its landmark solar incentives, the country is still experiencing a goldrush as a variety of renewable energies take hold and grow.
20% of Germany’s electricity comes from renewable energy now, up from just 6% in 2000. And the boom is just beginning as the country retools its infrastructure to meet its new target: 35% renewables energy by 2020.
That retooling – an absolute must since its decision to stop producing nuclear energy – is creating thousands of jobs and new industries.
The country’s latest version of its feed-in law – the hugely successful tool it’s used to become a world leader in solar – now extends to onshore and offshore wind, geothermal, and biomass – to help it quickly diversify into the full range of renewable resources.
Germany’s northern coast has been largely left out of economic development, but now that’s changing.
"Renewable energy has become extremely valuable for our state," says Erwin Selling, Premier of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state in an interview with Reuters. "It’s just a great opportunity — producing renewable energy and creating manufacturing jobs." He says the rush to tap offshore wind and farm waste feels like an old-style gold rush.
Renewable energy provides more jobs than its shipyards – previously its biggest industry. 6,000 people work at 704 companies, and that’s expected to nearly quadruple to 22,000 by 2020, reports Reuters.
What kinds of companies are there? Wind turbine manufacturers and their supply chain, solar PV and biomass plants that use the area’s farm waste.
Companies like wind turbine manufacturer Nordex, for example, employs 1,000 people in highly skilled jobs. The state, which has struggled with the highest unemployment rate in Germany, has taken the lead.
With Germany’s push into offshore wind, there’s plenty of growth to come. It has plans for 4000 turbines off the coast, producing by 2030.
This quarter saw the highest cleantech investments ever – a significant part of those were in offshore wind in Europe’s North Sea – $6.3 billion for three large wind projects totalling 1 GW of power.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will cover 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2015-2017, and then export the excess to other German states.
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The final call and the reason for realizing the necessity of sustainable and efficient energy technology in Germany not only concerning the government but as well within the population was – sadly but true – the nuclear crisis in Japan.
Thinking has to change and decisions have to made. There are so many possibilities of creating sustainable energy or reducing energy wastage by inverting energy efficient technologies especially concerning the planning of green buildings.
Find more information about sustainable buldings here:
http://www.usa.siemens.com/sustainable-cities/
Please will the German government explain to the UK government that we do not need any nuclear power if we develop our renewable resources. Thank you Germany for showing us the way forward.
I am happy for Germany but sad for my country, the USA…we are told by some politicians to leave renewable energy innovation to our BFF China.