Why does Germany, a country with the same amount of sun on a yearly basis as Alaska, have residential solar costs half that of the U.S.? Why have solar panel prices dropped significantly while whole-system cost has remained relatively high? For Dan Seif, principal with Rocky Mountain Institute’s electricity and industrial practices, and Jesse Morris, Senior Associate for electricity and transportation practices at Rocky Mountain Institute, the answer lies in the soft costs of solar PV—all the non-hardware-related costs of installing a solar PV system.
Author: Energiewende Team
German Market Evolution
Since a few years, self-consuming solar systems are on the rise. Jesse Morris, a senior associate of Rocky Mountain Institute, takes Germany as an example and looks at the possible implications for the U.S.
First Energy Results of German Coalition Talks
Coalition talks between the CDU and SPD are entering their critical phase. Matthias Lang sums up the current state of debate on renewables and the energy market.
Germany’s Energiewende – the lessons for Finland
Could Finland implement an energy transition similar to Germany’s Energiewende? Karoliina Auvinen argues that Finland could, if it was willing to act courageously while learning from Germany’s early experiences.
The Official Explanation for the German Energy Transition
Critics of the Energiewende suggest that Germany will eventually have to change course. But as Ben Paulos shows, the Energiewende is firmly anchored not only in German society but also in mainstream politics and the administration.
European Climate Leadership under Siege – the 2030 Climate and Energy Debate
The European Union (EU) has long proclaimed itself a leader of global climate ambition and a champion of the low carbon economy. The controversial debate on the EU’s climate and energy policies beyond 2020 will have far-reaching impacts on the global climate trajectory. Due to the influence of powerful interest groups, Europe might roll back its commitment to combating climate change, warns Silvia Brugger.
Censored EU Commission Numbers and Biased Scenarios – How Powerful Interests Undermine the Energy Transition in Europe
The European Union (EU) is currently setting out its climate and energy policy framework for 2030. Whether the EU should commit to binding targets for emissions reduction, renewables and energy efficiency, and how ambitious such targets should be, is hotly debated in Brussels. Scenario modeling and statistics are supposed to inform politicians with sound research-based guidance for their decision making. However, it seems that these information sources are often biased in line with the interests of powerful lobby groups thus putting at stake future EU competitiveness, the delivery of the EU climate and energy security and the transformation into a low-carbon economy, find Silvia Brugger and Luca Bergamaschi.
Energiewende – let’s look beyond Europe!
When talking about the Energiewende, observers tend to look to Germany and Western Europe as pioneers. Robert Brückmann argues that we need to broaden our attention, as more and more countries around the world restructure their power generation – and gives South East Asia as a convincing example.
Energiewende – let's look beyond Europe!
When talking about the Energiewende, observers tend to look to Germany and Western Europe as pioneers. Robert Brückmann argues that we need to broaden our attention, as more and more countries around the world restructure their power generation – and gives South East Asia as a convincing example.
German Energy Politics Remain Challenging After Federal Election Results 2013
Angela Merkel is the big winner of yesterday’s federal election in Germany. Yet, forming a government will not be a simple task. Matthias Lang gives a first outlook on the process of coalition negotiations in the coming weeks and what the possible results might mean for the Energiewende in the coming years.