Contributing to an ambitious national target
The German government forecasts a contribution from renewable energy of up to 30% by 2020.
German government policy has encouraged the development of renewable energy since the 1990s. The main support mechanism has been the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which gives renewable energy generators priority access into the grid network and premium payments for their electricity output.
This has helped make Germany the most successful country in Europe for wind energy. Last year over 1,660 MW of new wind power capacity was commissioned, taking the total to 22,247 MW. This represents 7.5% of national electricity consumption in Europe’s most populous nation.
Based on the success of wind power and other green electricity generation sources, the government has a target for 25-30% of all energy to come from renewables by 2020. The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) forecasts that wind power could by then reach a level of 55,000 MW, both on land and offshore – over twice as much as today.
This has helped make Germany the most successful country in Europe for wind energy. Last year over 1,660 MW of new wind power capacity was commissioned, taking the total to 22,247 MW. This represents 7.5% of national electricity consumption in Europe’s most populous nation.
Based on the success of wind power and other green electricity generation sources, the government has a target for 25-30% of all energy to come from renewables by 2020. The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) forecasts that wind power could by then reach a level of 55,000 MW, both on land and offshore – over twice as much as today.
In order to increase the deployment of wind power, German policy has recently encouraged ‘repowering’, the replacement of older wind turbines with new models of at least double the installed capacity. Repowering of the wind turbines at the Galmsbüll Bürgerwindpark, of which Marienkoog is part, is one of the largest such schemes in the country.
The German Wind Energy Association estimates that repowering has the potential to double the amount of wind power on land in Germany and triple its energy yield.
“I think we could reach 45,000 MW of wind power capacity just from repowering schemes,” says Ralf Bischoff, director of the BWE. “We are very confident that we will continue to have a growing market.”
The German Renewable Energy Association (BEE) believes that all renewable sources could contribute even more than the government expects – up to 47% of Germany’s electricity supply by 2020.
Learn more about wind power in Germany
The German Renewable Energy Sources Act
The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), first introduced in 2000, gives priority access for electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the grid network. It also stipulates a fixed ‘feed-in tariff’ for each unit of power produced and fed into the grid.
An initial tariff is paid for at least five years, and then reduced to a basic level depending on the local wind conditions at the site. Less windy inland sites receive a higher payment. The tariffs are paid for a total of 20 years, but there is a 1% reduction each year for newly installed wind turbines in order to reflect growing efficiencies.
A bonus is paid for turbines which ensure that their operation is compatible with the stability and security of the grid network.
Higher tariffs are paid for offshore wind power projects and for repowering schemes where turbines more than ten years old are replaced with more modern versions of at least double the installed capacity.
Want to know more?
Global Wind Energy Council, Rue d'Arlon 63-65, 1040 Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 400 1029, Fax: +32 2 546 1944, Email: info@gwec.net