German State to Reach 100% Renewable Power This Year

[satanboy]

Germany recently smashed three solar energy records in just two weeks and set a new overall renewables record last month with 74 percent clean energy use during the middle of the day. Now the Federal Republic’s northernmost — and windiest — state of Schleswig-Holstein is set to generate all of its electricity from green energy this year. The state, which borders Denmark and the North and Baltic Seas, has a goal to generate 300 percent of its electricity needs from renewables.

Eight years ago Schleswig-Holstein only produced around 30 percent of its power from wind, so getting to the 100 percent mark in such a short amount of time is a significant achievement. According to a 2011 report on the economic impact of wind energy in the state, Schleswig-Holstein provided 11.4 percent of Germany’s total installed capacity with 3,271 megawatts from 2,705 turbines. A German Wind Energy Association report projects that by 2030 offshore wind capacity could reach up to 25,000 MW and onshore could get up to 6,000 MW.

Schleswig-Holstein is home to more than 200 businesses in the wind energy sector with around 7,000 employees. As of 2010, wind power in Germany provided more than 96,000 jobs and that figure is expected to increase as the nation commits to phasing out nuclear energy and replacing it with renewables.

While Schleswig-Holstein aims to become the first of Germany’s 16 states to pass the 300 percent renewables mark, a Bavarian village has already blown past that milestone. In 2011, Wildpoldsried produced a whopping 321 percent of its electricity from clean energy, generating four million Euro (US $5.7 million) in revenue by selling it back to the national grid.

http://inhabitat.com/german-state-to-reach-100-renewable-power-this-year/

 

[ChocolateBadger]

Good on those Germans. A true first world country

 

[Arthur]

All is not as cosy at it seems.

For some years now, experts have been warning that the grid is close to collapse. Solar PV has massive daytime peaks, and zero generation at night. In winter, PV generation drops to a fraction owing to less daylight hours. Base load stations have to make up the periodic shortfall. They have to be disconnected at peak PV times and quickly reconnected to make up shortfalls at night or cloudy days, something they weren't designed to handle.

Your fave search engine will find a thousand articles spelling out the problems. Here's a random summary article from a couple of years ago - http://www.germanenergyblog.de/?p=4293

 

[ChocolateBadger]

All is not as cosy at it seems.

For some years now, experts have been warning that the grid is close to collapse. Solar PV has massive daytime peaks, and zero generation at night. In winter, PV generation drops to a fraction owing to less daylight hours. Base load stations have to make up the periodic shortfall. They have to be disconnected at peak PV times and quickly reconnected to make up shortfalls at night or cloudy days, something they weren't designed to handle.

Your fave search engine will find a thousand articles spelling out the problems. Here's a random summary article from a couple of years ago - http://www.germanenergyblog.de/?p=4293

Always naysayers. How are you going to solve the problems if you don't discover and work through them? Nevermind the fact the they are actually trying to make renewable energy a main source other than just having it to say they are green. Germany also one of the first countries to test hydrogen powered cars by putting hydrogen service stations on main routes. Yes there will be problems with all new technology but coal and oil ain't lasting forever and nuclear has its drawbacks too.

 

[Arthur]

Naysayer? I run entirely off solar pv and export to the grid. For some years now. So I have more than passing knowledge on this topic.

Don't let your enthusiasm blind you to the facts - they are not mine but those of physics and engineering.

 

[Arthur]

New Scientist:
http://www.newscientist.com/article...r-could-crash-germanys-grid.html#.U7lCAxkaK9s

Der Spiegel: http://ml.spiegel.de/article.do?id=852815

Even George Monbiot (who gets most things wrong but is a darling of progressives) is more than skeptical: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2010/mar/11/solar-power-germany-feed-in-tariff

 

[Billy]

All these wind turbines will slow the Earth's rotation down.

 

[maumau]

Naysayer? I run entirely off solar pv and export to the grid. For some years now. So I have more than passing knowledge on this topic.

Don't let your enthusiasm blind you to the facts - they are not mine but those of physics and engineering.

Have they already started exporting to the grid? That's a great step. Do you know who we can contact pse Arthur? In joburg

 

[Arthur]

I'm no longer in Joburg. And neither is my installation the cheapest. Though the gov published policy papers on REFITs many years ago, they're still not ready for prime time. My exports are under the auspices of a pilot project, running since Nov 2012.

I've used MLT Drives for solar pv since 1999. www.mltdrives.com. The box that does the magic is the PowerStar II. I have the 12kW model. See the Solar Power thread here.

 

[maumau]

I'm no longer in Joburg. And neither is my installation the cheapest. Though the gov published policy papers on REFITs many years ago, they're still not ready for prime time. My exports are under the auspices of a pilot project, running since Nov 2012.

I've used MLT Drives for solar pv since 1999. www.mltdrives.com. The box that does the magic is the PowerStar II. I have the 12kW model. See the Solar Power thread here.

Thanks for the info. I've already had an assessment and quote and will buy from the company i've dealt with. You're right it's not cheap but going off the grid's worth it.

 

[HavocXphere]

Thats pretty impressive...especially since they don't have geothermal really.

For some years now, experts have been warning that the grid is close to collapse.

Well someone has to pioneer this - and frankly I'd rather have ze Germans do that than our local heros.

 

[Chevron]

That's great and all, but what do they do at night?

 

[HavocXphere]

That's great and all, but what do they do at night?

Get the French to kick their nuclear plants into high gear?

 

[Arthur]

That's great and all, but what do they do at night?

Much as I admire their ingenuity and engineering prowess, the Germans are not immune to falling for loopy ideas in the political realm, sometimes with devastating consequences.

Fortunately, many Germans are asking the same question.

 

[FrankCastle]

Go Germany and bring the cup home.