Germany added around 7.5 gigawatts of new solar-power generation capacity in 2011, driven by strong demand for new facilities such as roof-top installations toward the end of the year, the country's network agency said Monday, citing preliminary figures.
Germany
added
around 7.5 gigawatts of new solar-power generation capacity in 2011, driven by
strong demand for new facilities such as roof-top installations toward the end
of the year, the country's network agency said Monday, citing preliminary
figures.
If confirmed, the figure would be slightly higher than the previous record
level of 2010, when 7.4 GW in new generation capacity were added, and would
herald further sharp reductions in subsidies for solar energy, said
Bundesnetzagentur.
Matthias Kurth, the regulator's president, said that growth in new solar power
facilities was particularly strong in the last quarter of 2011, with some 3 GW
in new installations in December alone. The December additions represent around
40% of the overall installations in 2011, Kurth said.
Kurth also said that the renewed strong expansion of solar power in
Germany
is
likely to result in sharp reductions in solar energy subsidies.
"For the last quarter of 2011 alone we have recorded some 4,150 megawatt
in new installations," Kurth said.
This figure alone would be enough to reduce solar subsidies by 12% at the next
scheduled reduction July 1, he said. A further addition of only 225 MW in the
first four months of 2012 would increase the subsidy cut to 15%, Kurth said.
Subsidy reductions for new solar plants are calculated every year, based on the
capacity volume installed over the previous 12 months.
Germany
promotes photovoltaic solar energy facilities--mostly rooftop
installations--through feed-in rates that guarantee minimum prices for the
electricity they generate. Effectively, electricity consumers are paying for
subsidizing renewable energies.
German solar energy industry association BSW attributed the strong year-end
growth to persistently low prices for photovoltaic solar modules, and to
concerns that the unabated rapid expansion of solar energy could prompt the
government to further reduce subsidies.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01