The joint CEO of German solar company Belectric has used the occasion of the inauguration of a 128 MW solar park in Brandenburg to hit out at politicians, claiming the current policy landscape means projects of such magnitude are no longer possible in Germany.
"Citizens and decision-makers in local communities should be allowed to decide their own energy future," said Bernhard Beck at the inauguration ceremony of the Templin thin film solar park which was also attended by Green Party politician Jürgen Trittin.
Trittin took a different line, saying the Renewable Energy Act has been successful thus far. "Renewables are not the cause of rising electricity costs," he told assembled dignitaries.
The Templin thin film park has been developed on a former Russian military airfield, Gross Dölln and is equipped with more than 1.5 million thin film modules from First Solar and 114 solar inverters from SMA.
Beck said the Templin plant demonstrates what is possible given the cost reductions seen in solar in the last decade.
With integrated dynamic reactive power control, stability of the power grid is assured enabling more energy to be transported in existing grids and reducing the need for grid expansion. Belectric says that will mean lower bills for consumers.
The power plant was connected to the grid weeks ago. The construction period, in late summer last year, took only four months.
Martin Zembsch, fellow CEO of Belectric took a more diplomatic line, saying decentralized energy supply requires new and intelligent solutions.
"These are already available today and can significantly reduce the associated costs of development of energy supply," said Zembsch at the launch. "The aim of policies should therefore be to allow the development of open field solar power plants where grid and consumption needs are."
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