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BERLIN, Germany, July 12, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
Germany increased its green power output by 62
billion kWh in 2005, and the market for renewables “is still
growing,” says the federal environment ministry.
Expansion of renewable energies is a central element in the
German government’s energy policy, which has a goal of sourcing 4.2%
of overall energy from renewables by 2010. In 2005, the share of
renewables in primary energy consumption was 4.6% “which means that
the 2010 target has already been achieved,” explains a status
report.
The growth is primarily due to the fact that renewables are promoted
in the electricity sector under the Renewable Energy Sources Act
(EEG) and in the heating sector by a program of market incentives,
while successful expansion has been achieved in the area of biofuels
for transport. The aim now is to increase the share of renewables in
overall energy consumption to at least 10% by 2020, and the share of
biofuels in transport fuels to 5.75% by that time.
The share of green power increased to 10.2% last year, compared with
9.4% in 2004, an increase of 62 billion kWh. Wind contributed 26.5
billion kWh while hydropower generated 21.5 billion kWh and biomass
10 billion kWh. Electricity from solar doubled to 1 billion kWh.
“Thanks to favourable framework conditions, renewable energies have
become a success story,” says Michael Müller, Parliamentary State
Secretary at the environment ministry. “If we strongly increase the
use of renewables, generate energy from fossil energy sources more
efficiently and generally use energy in a smarter way, we are
helping new technologies to break through.”
Müller, who presented the data collected by the working group on
renewables (Arbeitsgruppe Erneuerbare-Energien-Statistik -
AGEE-Stat), says the federal government is optimistic that it would
raise the share of renewables to at least 20% by 2010 and, under
favourable conditions, to reach 25%.
Biomass provides 94% of green heat in Germany, while solar thermal
continues to increase and almost 1 million m2 of collector area were
installed last year. The federal market incentive program continues
to be a decisive factor and the share of renewables in the overall
heating market is 5.4%.
“On the heat market, we want to achieve the same successes we have
achieved in the electricity sector,” says Müller. “This is why we
are working on an act for the promotion of heat supply from
renewable energy sources.”
The use of renewables has displaced the emission of 83 Mt of CO2 in
Germany, and “this shows that renewable energy sources make a
lasting contribution to climate protection and to the fulfilment of
our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol,” he adds.
Last year, the market for renewables in Germany was Euro 16 billion,
with national employment of 157,000.
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