Solar power brightens German skies

[jpak]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/NATION/705090311/1020/NATION

ESPENHAIN, Germany -- When it opened here in 2004 on a reclaimed mining dump, the Geosol solar plant was the biggest of its kind in the world. It is so clean and green that it produces zero emissions and so easy to operate that it has only three regular workers: plant manager Hans-Joerg Koch and his two security guards, sheepdogs Pushkin and Adi.

The plant is part of a building boom that has made gloomy-skied Germany the unlikely global leader in solar-generated electricity. Last year, about half of the world's solar electricity was produced in the country. Of the 20 biggest photovoltaic plants, 15 are in Germany, even though it has only half as many sunny days as countries such as Portugal.

The reason is not a breakthrough in solar power but a law adopted in 2000. It requires the country's huge old-line utility firms to subsidize the solar upstarts by buying their electricity at marked-up rates that make it easy for the newcomers to turn a profit. Their cleanly created power enters the grids for sale to consumers.

The law was part of a broader measure adopted by the German government to boost production of renewable energy sources, including wind power and biofuels. As the world's sixth-biggest producer of carbon-dioxide emissions, Germany is trying to slash its output of greenhouse gases and wants renewable sources to supply a quarter of its energy needs by 2020.

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[OKIsItJustMe]

1. Thanks! I'm writing my senators and representative

Original Story Here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402466.html

[pberq]

2. It's time we step up and go solar

[pberq]

3. How about the Clean Energy Act?

https://www.environmentgeorgia.org/energy/campaign-for-a-new-energy-future

On Thursday January 18th Congress passed the Clean Energy Act of 2007 (HR 5) as part of the 100 hour strategy. The bill would establish a “clean energy fund” that would create incentives for and investments in energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. These funds could:

spur the construction of wind and solar energy power generation facilities;
save consumers money on their energy bills with incentives for energy efficient appliances, buildings, and equipment
enable more to purchase gas-saving hybrid cars and trucks

[LSK]

4. K&R #5

[NNadir]

5. Actually German skies are darkening because of the 26 new coal plants they're building.

They bought into a nuclear phase out, and so they're building coal.

Renewable energy can't even keep up with demand in Germany according to EIA figures.

So much for conservation.

By the way, did you ever check to see why Gerhard Schroeder, anti-nuclear activist signed up for the board of directors for Gazprom?

I think he was a fossil fuel shill. No wonder he works with the "Greens."