Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

22+ GWp power generation in the hands of German citizens

23. December 2011 By:  Karl-Heinz Remmers

Investment of €60 billion delivers in excess of one million solar plant operators.

Just before Christmas 2011, it is definitely worthwhile reflecting on what the over one million solar plant operators in Germany have achieved. Within a span of a few years - via citizens, medium enterprises and investors - the third largest installed capacity of all power plants fleet has been achieved by solar. This is after coal and wind power.

With approximately 3.5 percent in the grid (approximate 2011 totals), photovoltaics have overtaken hydroelectric power, and remains only slightly behind bioenergy, whereas classic oil in the power equation has long been left behind.
And the trend is rapidly building momentum. This is a joy for all who want to quickly attain new power supplies, but hell for the fossil and nuclear industry.

Because already now, every afternoon, photovoltaics is taking away the peak load - and all of it on sunny summer days and in winter of course proportionally. But, when it is sunny, it hurts the traditional power peak plants, and hurts them really, really badly. And since peak power can be sold more expensively, it is a rather obvious prognosis that solar is even more despised than wind energy. And there is no need to beat around the bush: solar power substitutes these conventional sources. This is and was always the intention and the one million operators have already done a damn good job at that. Because such capacities cannot be reached by traditional technologies and even the largest suppliers would not have managed to invest over €60 billion in a such few years.

It is only possible by activating the general public, stimulated by relevant incentives, to do so. Then, there is enough money available and when the "crowd" (meaning all of us) get in motion, things that even the biggest energy companies can’t accomplish can get done.

This is something that our comparatively affluent country can be truly proud of. And then it is truly democracy in action, because energy is no longer in the hands of the few, but many. It is worth it all to say this over and over again. In Germany and worldwide, because then we, the people can create more changes, quicker.