This Is How To Do It
It's amazing what can be accomplished if government, industry, and citizens all have the determination to get something done. An article in today's NY Times details how Germany, a country with fewer sunny days than several other European nations, has become a leader in solar energy production and use.
Thanks to its aggressive push into renewable energies, cloud-wreathed Germany has become an unlikely leader in the race to harness the sun’s energy. It has by far the largest market for photovoltaic systems, which convert sunlight into electricity, with roughly half of the world’s total installations. And it is the third-largest producer of solar cells and modules, after China and Japan. [Emphasis added]
A whole new industry was developed in an area of Germany depressed after the reunification of that country, providing good jobs. Just as important, the people of Germany were able to get off the oil and natural gas merry-go-round, with its attendant steep cost increases and they found a way to slow the contribution to global climate change.
With wind, biomass and other alternative energy also growing, Germany derives 14.2 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. That puts it ahead of a European Union target for countries to generate 12.5 percent of electricity from alternative sources by 2010.
And how was this accomplished? By governmental incentives and subsidies. The German government assisted the new industry and promoted the product in such a fashion that the citizens were able to buy into the solar energy revolution. Right now, as the article makes clear, some in the current government of Angela Merkel want to cut back on the subsidies because of a fear that ultimately they may drive up the cost of electricity (a fear no doubt stoked by conventional power producers and utilities), and some tweaking of the system might be needed. However, the fact is that without governmental assistance and leadership, the changeover to non-carbon based power generation just wouldn't have been possible.
“To develop a technology, you’ve got to create an industry,” said Mr. Milner, the chief executive of Q-Cells, referring to the German success story. “You can wait and wait and wait for costs to come down, but it takes too long.”
It turns out that solving some of the planet's problems just might be possible, if enough people have the determination to do so and are willing to back that determination with the money to implement it.
Are you listening, Washington?
Thanks to its aggressive push into renewable energies, cloud-wreathed Germany has become an unlikely leader in the race to harness the sun’s energy. It has by far the largest market for photovoltaic systems, which convert sunlight into electricity, with roughly half of the world’s total installations. And it is the third-largest producer of solar cells and modules, after China and Japan. [Emphasis added]
A whole new industry was developed in an area of Germany depressed after the reunification of that country, providing good jobs. Just as important, the people of Germany were able to get off the oil and natural gas merry-go-round, with its attendant steep cost increases and they found a way to slow the contribution to global climate change.
With wind, biomass and other alternative energy also growing, Germany derives 14.2 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. That puts it ahead of a European Union target for countries to generate 12.5 percent of electricity from alternative sources by 2010.
And how was this accomplished? By governmental incentives and subsidies. The German government assisted the new industry and promoted the product in such a fashion that the citizens were able to buy into the solar energy revolution. Right now, as the article makes clear, some in the current government of Angela Merkel want to cut back on the subsidies because of a fear that ultimately they may drive up the cost of electricity (a fear no doubt stoked by conventional power producers and utilities), and some tweaking of the system might be needed. However, the fact is that without governmental assistance and leadership, the changeover to non-carbon based power generation just wouldn't have been possible.
“To develop a technology, you’ve got to create an industry,” said Mr. Milner, the chief executive of Q-Cells, referring to the German success story. “You can wait and wait and wait for costs to come down, but it takes too long.”
It turns out that solving some of the planet's problems just might be possible, if enough people have the determination to do so and are willing to back that determination with the money to implement it.
Are you listening, Washington?
Labels: Global Warming
posted by Diane at 4:06 AM
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