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Altmaier announces abolition of the EEG surcharge

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Berlin Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) has announced further reductions in electricity prices. “My goal is for us to gradually lower the EEG surcharge over the next five years and finally abolish it entirely,” said Altmaier on Thursday at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit. The acronym EEG stands for the Renewable Energy Sources Act, which was introduced 20 years ago to promote green electricity.

After months of struggle, the coalition passed a reform in December, but failed to clarify important points. A new expansion target for renewable energies by 2030 that meets the new EU climate targets is still open. The question of how much electricity Germany will probably need in 2030 is also open.

Encouragement for Altmaier’s plan to phase out the EEG funding comes from the energy sector: “The EEG has been incredibly successful with its 20-year history, but the system of the levy and levy system makes competitiveness difficult,” said Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the Federal Association of German Energy and Water Industries.

EnBW boss Frank Mastiaux is also expecting a lot from a further EEG reform: “The problems have been identified”, now it depends on the implementation, said the manager at the energy summit. Above all, the expansion of wind and solar systems must increase significantly, “otherwise we will not achieve our climate goals”.

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Green leader Annalena Baerbock, however, expressed skepticism. First of all, the competitive conditions for renewables would have to improve. This also includes a reasonable CO2 price. According to the plan, this should initially amount to 25 euros per ton from 2021 and gradually increase to 55 euros per ton by 2025. That is not enough for Baerbock, she calls for a significantly higher CO2 price and a climate neutrality pact between business and politics.

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier and Greens boss Annalena Baerbock are something like regular guests at the annual Handelsblatt Energy Summit. The focus is on your messages – not least because the first black-green ocoalition at federal level could be initiated next autumn after the federal elections.

While the two politicians agree that ‧ those companies will be left behind that do not take the issue of climate neutrality so seriously, but they are far apart on other issues.

“If we electrify everything, not just the transport sector, but also industry, then of course we have a much higher power requirement than we currently have or it was the case five years ago,” said Baerbock at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit , which took place purely virtually this year due to the corona pandemic. “That is why the amounts of expansion that Mr. Altmaier has submitted are definitely not sufficient.” She accuses the Federal Minister of Economics of “calculating”.

With his announcement that the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will expire in the foreseeable future, the CDU politician is likely to meet with a lot of approval from large parts of the economy and society. Because the EEG, which was introduced to promote electricity generation from renewable energy sources such as sun and wind and once made Germany a pioneer in the field of energy transition, has cost consumers and companies a three-digit billion sum over the years.

Thanks to government support, there were more wind turbines and solar systems in Germany for a long time than in any other country in the world. In the meantime, however, the former pioneer is more in the lower middle field than in the top positions in a global comparison.

The expansion of wind and solar power is only progressing slowly, while electricity costs continue to rise due to the EEG surcharge. With the new climate targets from Brussels, the costs of the energy transition should also go up even further. “We have to guarantee that energy is affordable, even if renewables become the main source of electricity and energy,” said Altmaier on Thursday.

Altmaier wants planning security

In 2020, the grand coalition decided in the economic stimulus package to cap the EEG surcharge for 2021 and 2022 via budget funds and the CO2 price for fossil fuels that has just been introduced in the building and transport sector, in order to ease the burden on electricity prices. Altmaier said at the energy summit that he would like to continue this relief in order to create planning security. “If someone makes investments as a medium-sized company, then he would like to know whether he can still pay for the electricity in ten years,” said the minister in a video link. “That’s why we need this clarity.”

When it comes to electricity prices for medium-sized companies, industry and households, Germany should “return to the means of the European convoy,” said Altmaier. “The acceptance of electricity prices is an important prerequisite for the energy transition and climate protection to succeed.”

Handelsblatt Energy Summit 2021

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (right) in conversation with Handelsblatt editor-in-chief Sebastian Matthes.

Altmaier received direct support for his initiative from the energy sector itself. “The EEG was designed to successfully implement a market ramp-up. Now we need a market-driven solution, ”said Stefan Dohler, head of the north German energy supplier EWE. The head of the Oldenburg company sees this in the so-called “Contract for Differences” (CfD) model, which is already being used in Great Britain and other countries. With the CfD system, the price is capped upwards and downwards. The operator is covered if the stock exchange prices fall below the limit, but the profits are also capped and transferred to the state if they are significantly higher.

In view of a similar discussion, the Federal Ministry of Economics had already shown itself to be rather critical of the model with regard to offshore wind power. Instead, Altmaier relies on direct purchase agreements between producers and consumers, so-called Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which guarantee a fixed purchase price over several years.

Since the costs of solar and wind power have fallen massively, PPAs have been concluded more and more frequently, often without any additional remuneration from the state. “Yes, there has been fighting over the past few years between those who believed they could or should stop the train, those who argued for a reasonable pace, and those who weren’t fast enough,” said Altmaier. Now everyone would know that if you “don’t march ahead when converting to a fossil-free world, you will end up being caught up and rolled over”.

How much green electricity does Germany need?

However, there is still one point that the Minister of Economic Affairs cannot ignore: How much green electricity does Germany really need to achieve its climate targets by 2030 and beyond? Like the Greens leader Baerbock, a possible candidate for Chancellor of the Greens in the upcoming federal election, other experts also warn that the federal government is setting the required amount far too low.

Electric cars, heat pumps and also low-carbon industrial production will drive up the demand for electricity dramatically. EWI experts estimate gross electricity consumption in 2030 to be up to 748 terawatt hours (TWh). The federal government, on the other hand, has so far anticipated a significantly lower demand for electricity.

“We will solve that in the first quarter,” announced Altmaier. With around 45 percent, Germany has achieved the highest share of renewable electricity to date. Alternative energies would have a meaning that they had not previously had. Germany wants to become climate neutral by 2050. Altmaier committed to a 100 percent supply of Germany with wind, solar and co. The intermediate step is a share of 65 percent by 2030.

“I am convinced that we will have German electricity production climate-neutral by 2040,” said Altmaier. At the same time, he was convinced that the share of 65 percent renewable energies will not only be met by 2030, but will probably be exceeded. If the expansion continues so slowly, however, it will be difficult.

Green politician Baerbock therefore calls for “to pack a solar system on every roof”, that is, solar compulsory for new buildings. The public sector, according to Baerbock, could start right away so that “we can finally make progress with the expansion of renewable energies”.

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Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) also declared the 65 percent share of renewable energies by 2030 to be outdated at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit on Wednesday. The reason is the new EU climate target that the EU heads of government agreed on in December. Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU will probably have to fall by at least 55 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2030. A final agreement between the Council of Ministers, the EU Parliament and the Commission is still pending. The previous plan was 40 percent.

What this means in concrete terms for Germany is still unclear. The EU climate target does not apply across the board to all member states, at least at the moment: As part of the burden sharing within the EU, each state receives its own target value, which is essentially based on the performance of the respective country. So far, Germany has had an obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030.

Economy Minister Altmaier openly expressed himself in favor of an increase on Thursday. The “friends” of the CDU had spoken out in favor of an increase to 60 percent. “I expressly support that.” He sees momentum not only in the energy transition in Germany, but globally in protecting the climate. The new US administration under Joe Biden is “an opportunity for all of us”.

When asked about a possible black-green coalition after the federal election in autumn, Altmaier said he warned against assuming that the coalition partners had already been decided. Baer‧bock declared that she was fighting for a higher CO2 price, but not for black and green as an automatism. The Union, she said, was always lagging behind. “That’s why we Greens want to get into the lead position.”

More from the Handelsblatt Energy Summit: Whether the climate-neutral restructuring of the economy will succeed will be decided in the next ten years.

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30.9 billion euros: Green electricity subsidies reach record

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Dhe German green electricity subsidy under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) was more expensive in 2020 than ever before. As the four network operators Amprion, Tennet, 50Hertz and TransnetBW announced on Tuesday, 30.9 billion euros flowed to the operators of EEG-subsidized wind, solar and biomass systems last year. That is around 12 percent more than in the previous year. In 2019 it was 27.5 billion euros, then 26.7 billion euros in 2018 and 26.3 billion euros in 2017.

Niklas Záboji

The increase in funding can also be attributed to higher electricity generation from renewables. According to preliminary calculations by the BDEW energy association, they came to 252 terawatt hours in 2020, which is 4 percent more than in 2019 and corresponds to a record share of the generation mix of 45 percent; the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems even reaches 51 percent because it excludes industrial self-generation.

The main reason for the higher EEG subsidies, however, is the corona crisis, which led to a drop in the price of electricity in wholesale in spring 2020. After the mechanics of promoting green electricity, this resulted in high differential payments. The EEG surcharge compensates for the difference between the mostly lower wholesale electricity price and the sometimes still very high funding commitments for operators of wind, solar and biomass plants.

In total, the shortfall amounts to 6.4 billion euros

This development left its mark on the expenditure side of the network operators’ so-called EEG clearing account. In June alone, spending amounted to 3.2 billion euros. In addition, the crisis-related collapse in electricity demand poured less money into the coffers than in previous years: With the exception of energy-intensive industry, the EEG surcharge is added to the electricity price for all consumers in Germany, 6.756 cents per kilowatt hour last year. In this way, 24.5 billion euros were raised in 2020 as a whole.

The 30.9 billion euros spent on promoting green electricity significantly exceeded the income from the EEG levy on the electricity price, with a total of 6.4 billion euros.

However, this undesirable development has been apparent since the spring with a view to the so-called EEG clearing account, on which the network operators balance income and expenditure month after month: while the account was still up 2.2 billion euros in January 2020 thanks to reserves, it has already been negative in June. At the end of the year, the minus 4.4 billion euros.

“A system that has fallen out of time”

Actually, this would have resulted in a noticeably higher EEG surcharge on the electricity price, which is set by the network operators every year in October for the coming year. At 9.651 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of around 40 percent would have threatened. With the income from the new CO2 levy on fossil fuels such as heating oil and gasoline, as well as other funds from the federal budget, the federal government has decided to slightly lower the EEG surcharge. Instead of 6.756 cents, it is 6.5 cents this year, and 6.0 cents next year. The funds from the federal budget amount to around 11 billion euros.

Representatives of the gas industry took the figures on Tuesday as an opportunity to criticize the national and one-sided electrification-oriented policy in Germany. “The decarbonization of Germany through full electrification through the EEG has no cost-benefit ratio,” said Timm Kehler from the future gas industry association. With existing technology, CO2 can be reduced cheaper and faster, and in the future also with climate-neutral gases such as hydrogen.

For Kehler, the EEG subsidy is “a system that has fallen out of time and that is less and less able to distribute electricity customers’ money efficiently and in the interests of climate protection.” He calculates: Germany saved 80 million tons of CO2 last year For the sum of around 31 billion euros spent in the EEG system, theoretically certificates for 1.24 billion tonnes of CO2 could be purchased in European emissions trading.

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New EEG: light and shadow for the photovoltaic industry

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It was good news: the cap of 52 gigawatts for subsidies for photovoltaic systems is history.

But with the new Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the growth sector could get a damper. And that with great potential in agriculture. Today every fourth gigawatt comes from a farm.

On the roofs of agricultural buildings, but also at ground level, there are still huge solar wastelands that should come into play in the coming years.

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Alsina and Garrido watch two different matches

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David Garcia’s goal at the end of an intense derby gave Llagostera a point and made Olot lose two. The two coaches, despite ending up with different aftertaste, rated the final 1-1 positively. “We had a draw. Luckily after scoring in the 90’s we were able to react quickly. We never give up. I’m very happy because we had a week of a lot of physical wear and tear and the distribution of points does justice “, explained Barça’s Oriol Alsina. For his part, Raúl Garrido said he came out “with a positive feeling despite the goal we received at the end of the match. The goal can’t hide the great game we played, we certainly deserved the victory “. With this tie, both teams close 2020 scoring.

However, the two Girona teams in Second B occupy different positions in the classification. 11 points are those of a Llagostera who from the new year will be able to focus only on the League after having to play games on weekdays for more than a month due to the Federation Cup and the King’s Cup. “It’s important to go on holiday in the position we are in. We are very close to the top positions but also to the bottom ones. I think we should be proud and value the standings because we are a humble and modest team. Now we can rest and focus on the League “, confessed Alsina. Olot, on the other hand, and with an irregular start, is in relegation positions with 9 points. “We are in clear recovery and I think this is the best news we can receive. Today (yesterday) I wanted to win but we can’t control everything “, said Raúl Garrido.

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Not even half green electricity (neue-deutschland.de)

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46 percent of the electricity consumed in Germany this year comes from renewable energies. This was announced by the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management and the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg on Monday on the basis of preliminary calculations. In 2019, the share of electricity from wind, photovoltaics and biomass was still 42.5 percent.

However, according to the information, the increase is not due to a strong expansion of green electricity systems, but above all to the lower electricity consumption during the corona crisis. Due to the priority for renewables, less electricity from fossil energy sources was fed into the grid. The windy first quarter and many hours of sunshine also enabled better use of existing systems.

The increase in renewables is still not making any headway, although according to the federal government’s official target, the proportion of green electricity should increase to 65 percent by 2030. A reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act that has already been introduced into parliament is intended to provide the urgently needed boost. However, there were long disputes in the black-red coalition over important details. Brakemen, especially from the Union, point to an impending increase in the EEG surcharge for electricity consumers and local resistance from citizens to new wind turbines, from which the AfD benefits.

At the weekend there was now an agreement of the parliamentary groups: According to this, communities in which wind turbines are built should be given a greater share of the income in order to increase acceptance. In addition, the self-consumption of self-produced solar power, for example on the house roof, should be made easier, and simplifications are also planned for solar systems on apartment buildings. The points should now be quickly incorporated into the draft law so that the EEG amendment can be passed by the Bundestag and Bundesrat this week and can thus come into force on January 1st. Thanks to an interim solution, onshore wind turbines, which are actually no longer eligible for funding because of their age, are to remain in operation for longer before they are replaced. Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) spoke of an “important improvement”. The “nonsense” that functioning systems have to be disconnected from the grid in large numbers “is averted”.

However, there is still no agreement on a new expansion path for green electricity that also meets the recent tightening of the EU climate targets. The design is now to take place in a change in the law in the first quarter of 2021. Carsten Körnig, General Manager of the Federal Association of the Solar Industry, therefore spoke of “incomplete and incomplete formula compromises in terms of climate policy”. “The federal government urgently needs to make improvements, otherwise we will continue to steer at high speed towards a climate protection and power generation gap.” With agencies

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Green electricity will cover almost half of electricity consumption in 2020 (neue-deutschland.de)

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Renewable Energy Sources Act: In 2020 green electricity will cover almost half of electricity consumption

Photo: dpa / Tom Weller

Berlin. According to experts, renewable energies such as wind and solar power covered almost half of the electricity consumption in Germany this year. Specifically, the share of electricity from wind, photovoltaics, biomass and other regenerative energy sources was a good 46 percent of gross electricity consumption, according to preliminary calculations by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management ( BDEW) show.

This means that the share of green electricity has risen further, last year it was 42.5 percent. According to the associations, one reason for this can be traced back to the lower electricity consumption, in particular due to the corona pandemic. The background is a feed-in priority for renewable energies.

If as much electricity had been consumed this year as in 2019, renewable energies would have covered a good 44 percent of electricity consumption, it said. Favorable weather conditions, such as a windy first quarter and many hours of sunshine, were primarily responsible for this.

According to the calculations, the largest share of green electricity this year was made up of wind power on land, followed by photovoltaics, biomass and electricity generated on wind farms on the North and Baltic Seas. The expansion targets for offshore wind power have already been raised significantly.

The aim of the federal government is to increase the share of green electricity to 65 percent by 2030. To ensure this, the CDU / CSU and SPD coalition factions are currently negotiating a reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act.

Also read: Climate policy remains mediocre – environmental organizations present Climate Protection Index 2020

BDEW boss Kerstin Andreae said that electricity demand will in all probability increase significantly by 2030. “If the extension continues with the handbrake on, we will not be able to achieve the goals we have set. In order to give the expansion of renewables momentum again, the federal government must now resolve an ambitious EEG amendment and the one for the expansion of renewables.

The black-red coalition has agreed on a reform for a faster expansion of green electricity in Germany. After lengthy negotiations, the CDU, CSU and SPD agreed on points that were still open in the reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), as representatives of the parliamentary groups informed the German press agency on Monday. This includes regulations for the continued operation of older solar and wind power plants, which will soon no longer receive any subsidies.

In addition, there is a financial contribution for communities where wind turbines are built. The aim is to increase public acceptance. The self-consumption of self-produced solar power, for example on the house roof, is to be made easier, and simplifications are also planned for solar systems on apartment buildings. The EEG reform is to be decided by the Bundestag and Bundesrat this week so that it can come into force on January 1st. However, the coalition postponed a possible increase in the expansion target by 2030 to the first quarter. Also in the first quarter, the government is to submit proposals for a further gradual reduction in the green electricity surcharge.

Union parliamentary group vice Carsten Linnemann (CDU) told the dpa: “It is important for me that we strengthen the role of the local authorities, which are to receive a larger share of the trade tax revenue from wind farms in the future.” Example with tenant electricity, old systems and the financial participation of municipalities, we have made decisive steps. ” dpa / nd

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The “pride” of the sporting planet after the PSG-Basaksehir match

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“To designate someone by their skin color is no” : Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu welcomed the unanimous reaction of the players in the PSG-Basaksehir match on Wednesday. Tuesday evening, after an indescribable mess on the grounds of the Parc des Princes, the 22 returned to the locker room after an altercation deemed racist targeting one of the trainers of the Istanbul team, the former Cameroonian international Pierre Achille Webo.

In the process, players, artists and officials engaged with messages rejecting racism, Kylian Mbappé gave his support to Webo. On social networks, a black and white poster proclaiming “No to racism” has flourished again, relayed by the accounts of PSG player Presnel Kimpembe or actor Omar Sy, who matched it with a series of fists surveys of all colors.

Former leader of PSG, Michel Denisot welcomed a “Historic and exemplary decision” bringing his “Absolute support” to both teams.

“I was proud to see this in football and happy to be able to explain the concept of non-discrimination to my children through football”, Roxana Maracineanu told France Info. “I did not hear the racist remarks as such, but there are nevertheless corroborating testimonies”, explained Marlène Schiappa on Europe 1 which “Welcomes the fact that the players, in solidarity, have decided to leave the field”. “It’s very strong, assures the Secretary of State. They send us a message saying: ‘racism should not be the concern of the person concerned only, but the concern of everyone’. “

Erdogan in the breach

For their part, the Turkish authorities rushed into the breach as soon as the match was suspended, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Cavusoglu, not hesitating to talk about “crime against humanity”. “I strongly condemn the racist remarks made against Pierre Webo, member of the technical staff of Basaksehir, and I am convinced that UEFA will take the necessary measures”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter.

At 14e minute of the match, which was played in a closed stadium, Pierre Achille Webo would have heard the fourth referee of the match, Sebastian Coltescu, use the word “negro” – or “negru”, black in Romanian – in his place. Originally from Romania, the French Minister of Sports confirmed that it was the translation of the word “black” but “To refer to some by their skin color is just not acceptable, not heard. It is normal to react that way ”. At the end of the evening, faced with the refusal of the players to return to the field, UEFA announced the postponement of the match until Wednesday evening and the opening of a “Thorough investigation”. In a message posted on Twitter, the instance proclaims: “Racism and discrimination, in all their forms, have no place in football.”

Laure bretton

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UNAM summons Medicine and Dentistry students to form vaccination brigades against Covid-19

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At the end of the university work as a brigade member, two certificates will be granted, one of the training course and the other of their participation in the campaign.

Editorial Information

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) convened this Friday its students and academics from the Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry careers to participate as volunteers in the vaccination brigades against SARS-COV-2, within the university campus.

The above with the purpose of collaborating in the attention of the sanitary emergency that affects our country and the possible participation in the National Vaccination Campaign.

In order to guarantee the quality of the vaccination process, it is necessary to train, in a blended manner, potential brigade members who must meet the following requirements.

• Be an academic or student enrolled in any of the aforementioned careers regardless of campus.

• Have completed and passed the first two years of any of the aforementioned careers.

• Not being part of the vulnerable population for health or age reasons, or being pregnant.

• Make your registration at http://www.facmed.unam.mx/registro/brigadacovid19/

• Successfully complete the training.

• Sign the informed consent once you have been accepted as a brigade member.

Inclusion as a brigadista will depend on the order of registration, compliance with the requirements and the needs of the vaccination days.

At the end of the university work as a brigade member, two certificates will be granted, one of the training course and the other of their participation in the campaign. If required, a letter will be provided to justify attendance at the vaccination campaign, so that academic facilities can be provided.

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Ikusi’s multimedia division creates a partnership with Danish company Triax to boost growth

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The Multimedia division of See and the danish company Triax have signed the framework agreement to formalize their merger through a ‘joint-venture’ al 50%. The new company, which will be based in Astigarraga, will combine the knowledge, experiences and development of both companies, which will boost their leadership in Europe in reception, treatment and distribution of TV, audio, video and data signals.

Headquartered, production and R&D base in Hornsyld, Denmark, Triax is a global provider of products and solutions for the reception and distribution of video, audio and data signals. The company operates globally with nine subsidiaries and distributors in more than 60 countries. Ikusi’s Multimedia division, which represents 7% of the company’s turnover, offers innovative and high-technology solutions for the reception, processing and distribution of audiovisual digital content, focusing on providing high value-added solutions for B2B customers, within the framework of “turnkey solutions”. The company is based in San Sebastián and operates mainly in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

«Solutions and services»

For Alfredo Juarranz Well, director of the Ikusi Multimedia division, «this strategic alliance is a very important milestone in our towards a customized digital platform of audiovisual solutions and services for B2B clients. To the join forces, we are dedicated to creating revolutionary new opportunities at the forefront of the fast-growing B2B audiovisual and data solutions market.

Peter Lyhne Uhrenholt, CEO of Triax, points out that “our shared vision is to be the preferred connectivity partner of our clients through a technological leadership of Vanguard. We will combine our complementary solutions, a strong R&D foundation and, above all, customer-centric values ​​to connect our customers to the future.

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Crash after 20 years? (neue-deutschland.de)

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Photo: dpa / Patrick-Pleu

After 20 years, at the end of the year the remuneration for the electricity feed-in ends for the first wind turbines and photovoltaic systems that are subsidized under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). In the case of wind energy, this will affect systems with a total output of up to 4,000 megawatts in the next year. There will be no funding for around 16 gigawatts of capacity by the end of 2025. This corresponds to more than a quarter of the installed capacity from wind turbines in Germany.

Because of the corona crisis, electricity prices on the exchange have temporarily dropped to around 2 cents per kilowatt hour; the average price last year was 3.4 cents per kilowatt hour. The operating costs of the older systems are between 3.5 and 5 cents per kilowatt hour. There is therefore a risk of the plants being shut down, even though they would run for another five to ten years.

The geoecologist Anke Herold is the managing director of the Öko-Institut Freiburg.

The geoecologist Anke Herold is the managing director of the Öko-Institut Freiburg.

Photo: Öko-Institut Freiburg

In the next few years, wind turbines could therefore be dismantled more quickly than new ones. The best option would be to repower the older turbines – that means replacing them with modern, larger and more efficient wind turbines in the same location. But currently, a large part of the old systems would not get a permit for such an upgrade because they are too close to settlements. The prescribed distances increase with the height of the system, even if the modern systems are quieter and the residents would therefore be less annoying. Therefore, the legal and planning requirements for repowering urgently need to be improved. It would be fatal if, in view of the shortage of space for wind energy, a large part of the locations that have been used and most accepted for 20 years were lost. In addition to a round table, the Federal Government has not yet made any specific proposals, even if the problem has been known for a long time.

In the case of photovoltaic systems, funding will end next year for almost 10,000 systems, and by 2030 for around 630,000 systems. The solar modules actually have a lifespan of more than 30 years, so they could still be used. The owners can use the electricity themselves or feed it into the power grid. But the current price of electricity is also too low for the solar systems to compensate for the investments required to continue operating the system. Plant operators should pay the EEG levy for the solar power that they use themselves. At the same time, they are obliged to install expensive smart measuring systems. Both make continued operation of the systems uneconomical. With a remaining term of ten years, the owners of small systems would lose between 1000 and 5500 euros.

If the obligation to pay the EEG surcharge were deleted and the meter costs were limited to 20 euros, the old photovoltaic systems could still be operated economically. While large consumers are exempt from the EEG surcharge, the new EEG does not provide for an exception for private use for small systems, although according to the European Union’s renewable directives, small systems with an output of up to 30 kilowatts should be exempt from such levies.

Shutting down these older wind and solar systems makes no sense for ecological and economic reasons. In its statement on the new Renewable Energy Sources Act, the Federal Council made good proposals for the old systems, which the federal government rejected by return post. This government attitude is exacerbating the climate crisis and endangering the goals for the expansion of renewables. We do not need any more lip service from the Minister of Economics on climate protection, but rather draft laws and planning specifications that finally implement the climate targets. In view of the more than four billion euros that coal-fired power plant operators receive for the decommissioning of uneconomical coal-fired power plants, it is absurd that no financial follow-up regulations have yet been found that would solve the acute problems of the old systems.

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