II. Learning From The German Transition To Renewable Energy, by Julius Fischer. German policy makers played a crucial role in the evolution of feed-in-tariffs (FITs) for renewables. FITs are the most elegant and effective policy instrumental in incentivizing renewable energy deployment in a cost-effective manner. Germany also has an impressive record of success in deploying renewable energy (esp. solar), and set high targets of efficiency improvement and renewables deployment. It is clear that we can use German example to show that renewable energy can and does create jobs and lower costs. The discourse surrounding the energy transition has ranged from whether the grid expansion can keep up with renewable energy deployment to whether the grid liability can be maintained (and yes it definitely can), and whether shutting down nuclear power in Germany will only result in imports of nuclear power from France or the Czech Republic (it hasn’t). There are also questions of whether household electricity consumers or industry should pay less, and whether the energy transition can be done cheaper.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, summarized, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments or suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
After a month of disputes and negotiations, resulting from an anti-dumping probe wanted by Solarworld AG (Germany’s biggest panel maker) and ProSun, a group of about 25 European companies. In July, ProSun called on Brussels to open probe, indicating their solar cell prices were undercut by Chinese firms benefitting from state loans and subsidies. Chinese firms responded that the allegations were groundless and warned of a trade war. At a time like this, cool heads and calm nerves are needed. So German Chancellor Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (wikimedia)
sought to defend Europe’s stuttering solar cell industry by attending German-Chinese trade talks in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin. meeting the Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (wikimedia)
, and urging China to stop alleged price dumping by its manufacturers. True leaderships prevail in time of confusion, capable of focusing on the optimal path through which both countries need for economic prosperity. Both Chancellor Merkel and Premier Wen have shown such leadership by reaching the agreement to act against trade protectionism and to work together to cooperate in product development, production, and sale. Merkel proposed trying “to solve the problems in the solar sector so one can prevent that an anti-dumping case has to be opened,” she told reporters, on August 30, 2012, in Beijing. “There’s still time, and it would be better to solve this in talks.” Below is a news clip summarizing this event.
This seems to be an instant replay of the story/posts that I reported back in May of this year, in May 26, 2012 post and May 21, 2012 post of http://sunisthefuture.net . Recall my previous comment on definitive patterns and precursors for modern human war in May 26, 2012 post? I believe both Chancellor Merkel and Premier Wen are wise stateswoman and statesman to keep their eyes on the prize: boosting their respective national economy and avoiding trade war or WAR. We are fortunate to have the accumulated data/experience from modern human history and wise leaderships in these two countries. Hopefully, in time, we would all come to the conclusion that all nations are functioning under global economy during our current century, intimately interdependent upon one another. We will all need to learn to cooperate, as all siblings under the same roof;though with sibling rivalry, we are all within the same family of humankind/earthlings. Under our current global economy, businesses that are able to cooperate with others will have a greater chance of survival than those that do not (for they will be able to better optimize resources). The sooner we learn to work and cooperate with one another, the sooner we will all be able to head toward our true common goal of transitioning into the renewable/solar energy age.
~have a bright and sunny day~
researched, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net
This post may had been prepared/written earlier than the day it appears, but right after the finish of the Veolia World Solar Challenge (world solar car race of twenty countries, 3021 km (1877 mi) between Darwin, Australia, to Angle Vale (official finish line) and Adelaide (ceremonial finish line), Australia, and thirty-seven solar cars) I had to fly to a location/ country where my internet access was not very convenient (it kept on being disconnected whenever I tried to write). However, I was able to load up various video clips onto youtube and I hope many of you have been enjoying these videos about the Veolia World Solar Challenge of 2011. I understand one of you from Netherland is trying to gather as much information about the race as possible. Since this is my first time covering Veolia World Solar Challenge, or WSC (and only had time and budget for the start and end of the race), I hope these photos I took and video clips I uploaded (and filmed by Mike) to youtube will help to meet part of your need. I promise you in two years (next Veolia World Solar Challenge) more detailed coverage about the scrutineering process (before the race) and events along the race will be included. Please keep in mind that the goal and focus of this World Solar Challenge is to increase greater awareness and education for our future generations in application of solar energy in cars and to stimulate greater interest in math, science, and engineering. The emphasis is both in how far and how fast (rather than just how fast) these solar cars can go using energy from the sun. As a matter of fact, part of the rule this year had actually restricted total surface area of the solar cells to 6 sq m and of which only 3 sq m can be of GaAs (gallium arsenide) so to even the playing field. Facility is available if a solar car needs to be “trailered” when insufficient sunshine is available for the duration of the race. This year, due to the extra challenges of cloudiness, rain, and bush fire, only about 7 out of 37 solar cars were able to finish the course completely using solar energy. The atmosphere at WSC is friendly and encouraging rather than fiercely competitive. One finds this to be true either in the scrutineering process (insuring safety of drivers/pilots and those around), tracking of the timing (please refer to: http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/files/318_2011_veolia_world_solar_challenge_provisional_results_pending_protests.pdf), or in the finish presentation (ritual dip in the Victoria Fountain by all teams (those that were not too shy or too cold) at the end of the race or not so ritual “burning rubber” of the German team). Finally, I’d like to take my hat off to Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011 team for being able to pull off a race of this magnitude (involving solar cars from twenty countries) with mostly volunteers working together to make this race work. Running an organization composed of mostly volunteers is not the same as running a normal company (I’ve had experience in both and believe me, running an organization composed mostly of volunteers is not easy!). So, if any of you out there with good ideas (to help improve the solar car race), funding, or time to volunteer, perhaps you’d like to contact Mr. Chris Selwood (leader and rightful owner of Veolia World Solar Challenge) and/or the organization at http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/contact_us For the ease and convenience of our readers’ pleasures, there are written descriptions for these solar cars with each of the youtube video clip of the interviews for its team members. So please be sure to read (click on “Show more” at each youtube clip) about the descriptions for these solar cars. I tried to take photograph and to interview as many of the participating solar cars of Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011 as possible, but due to time constraint, please forgive me if I missed any one. With regard to all the video interviews at youtube, if any of the interviewees’ names is either misspelled or not mentioned, please feel free to contact me at sunisthefuture@gmail.com so I can make the necessary modification. Below, you will find links to our youtube clips/interviews with various teams and photographs of these solar cars. Keep in mind that these videos and photos pertaining to Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011 are under Creative Commons as long as you would attribute it/them to Sun Is The Future at http://sunisthefuture.net There will be more posts on human interest stories and lessons learned regarding Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011 later.
Nuon Solar Team’s Nuna 6 (Netherlands), 2nd Winning Team that arrived at Adelaide, Australia
9. Arrival of Nuna 6 of Nuon Solar Team (Netherlands), Second Winning Team of Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011, at Victoria Square of Adelaide, Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdNZei5kJmw
University of Michigan’s Quantum (USA), 3rd Winning Team that arrived at Adelaide, Australia
11. Arrival of Quantum of University of Michigan (USA), Top Third Winning Team of Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011, at Victoria Square of Adelaide, Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6yO30-5Q8
12. Interview with Ashiya University (Japan) Solar Car Project’s Ashiya Sky Ace V team (4th car that arrived) member at Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtkKA2MKyYs
Ashiya University Solar Car Project’s Ashiya Sky Ace V (Japan), 4th Winning Team arriving at Adelaide, Australia
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team’s Chopper Del Sol (USA)
25. Interview with MIT’s Chopper Del Sol (USA) team member minutes before the beginning of the race at Veolia World Solar Challenge 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8r2rVpfnEM
On this day, exactly one year after his passing, I would like to share with you all the memory and work of the man, Hermann Scheer, most instrumental in bringing about the impact of effective Feed-In-Tariff policy in Germany (May 8, 2011 post of http://sunisthefuture.net) and subsequent impact on renewable energy for rest of the world. In addition to paragraphs taken from Wikipedia ( in bold print) below, I would also like to share with you all, his words of passion and urging/warning those of us who love our system of democracy, the need and hope for the change toward renewable energy…. eight months before his passing :
Dr. Hermann Scheer passed away a year ago, on Oct. 14, 2010.
Hermann Scheer (April 29, 1944 – October 14, 2010) was a Social Democrat member of the German Bundestag (Parliament), President of Eurosolar (The European Association for Renewable Energy) and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. In 1999, Scheer was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for his “indefatigable work for the promotion of solar energy worldwide“.
Scheer believed that the continuation of current patterns of energy supply and use will be environmentally damaging, with renewable energy being the only realistic alternative. Scheer had concluded that it is technically and environmentally feasible to harness enough solar radiation to achieve a total replacement of the foclear (fossil/nuclear) energy system by a global renewable energy economy. The main obstacle to such a change is seen to be political, not technical or economic. In 1999 he was one of the initiators of the German feed-in tariffs that were the major source of the rise of renewable energies in Germany during the following years.
Life Scheer was born in Wehrheim, and became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1965. As a student, while majoring in economics and law, he was active in student politics at the University of Heidelberg, and participated in the German student movement of the 1960s. In 1979, he graduated from the Free University of Berlin as a doctor of political science.
He became a member of the Bundestag in 1980, representing Baden-Württemberg; in 1993, he also became a member of the federal steering committee (Bundesvorstand) of the Social Democratic Party. Scheer had a solid track record as an anti-establishment figure within his own party.
He called the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia a war crime.
In his election districts, he always had to rely on a suitable placement on the party list to receive his mandates. He never had an executive post in government. In the preelection shadow cabinet of Andrea Ypsilanti, candidate for prime minister of Hesse in 2008, Scheer was pegged unsuccessfully as minister for development, environment and economics. The final list long after the election mentioned him as secretary of a downsized ministry of economics Scheer announced ambitious energy policy plans. The announcement of Scheer boosted the Ypsilanti campaign in the beginning but enhanced innerparty doubts about a non realistic approach in Hesses political and economic surroundings which made him fail finally. Scheer assumed Ypsilantis policies would result in a big big triumph of his party at the federal elections 2009.
His book Energy Autonomy was instrumental in the making of the film Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy in which he stresses the revolution in capitalist ownership of our energy supply.
Death Fourteen days before his death he was seen live on German television making a statement in the Bundestag about a highly explosive (“hochbrisant”) 60 billion euro breach of contract (“Vertragsbruch”) by Germany’s privately owned nuclear power corporations. He suddenly died in a hospital in Berlin from heart failure after an unspecified short and severe illness.
Books
Energy Autonomy, The Economic, Social and Technological Case for Renewable Energy, 2006,Earthscan, ISBN 184473556
The Solar Economy, Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future , 2004, Earthscan, ISBN 1844070751
To understand more about this most effective incentive program, Feed-In-Tariff, that would help to generate local jobs, local economic prosperity, and help to transform the economic balance of power in favor of people and nature, please refer to my posts between May 8-July 31 of 2011 and Nov. 8, 2011 at Sun Is The Future at http://sunisthefuture.net
written and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Homepage: http://sunisthefuture.net
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
