Germany finally warming to solar power benefits

Germany is undergoing a generational shift in the way the country powers its homes and businesses. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine saw gas supplies cut off, forcing Berlin to pivot towards speeding up its energy transition. Not noted as one of the sunniest places in the world, solar power is increasingly popular in Germany, with most of the solar panels used coming from China.

‌Philipp Godron, project lead for energy transition at think tank Agora, told CGTN that a changing world has ushered in big changes in how Germans look to generate electricity. "In Germany, we have been seeing a rise in prices, actually unprecedented rises in electricity and energy prices," he said. "Last year following the the Russian attack on Ukraine and the fossil fuel energy crisis we haven't been supplied with gas at the levels that we had before.

‌"This has made people look at cheaper alternatives and solar energy is one of them. So there has been and there is still ongoing a real boom in installing solar PV, both ground-mounted PV, but also rooftop PV. And certainly with low solar panel prices, the business case for for solar is as good as ever."

READ MORE

The flying cars that could fill our skies

How Spanish city recycles 98% of its water

German start-up striding toward plastic-free shoe

‌Eight out of every ten photovoltaics, or PV, solar panels sold globally are manufactured in China. In the first half of this year, exports of solar panels from China increased by more than a third. Panels with a capacity of 114 gigawatts were shipped worldwide, compared to 85 gigawatts in 2022. That's equivalent to the total installed solar panel capacity in the United States.

‌Fifty-eight per cent of those exports have arrived in Europe, with Germany one of the main countries to benefit from the global clean energy supply chain. Reduced costs, along with the aforesaid supply chain, have been crucial to turning Germans onto solar, says Godron.

‌"What has absolutely helped is that we have had a strong decrease in the last 20 years of of solar PV cost. And so you don't need to convince people," he added. "There's recent polls saying that two thirds of homeowners are thinking about installing solar PV on their rooftop and it's already common sense for new build. So definitely low prices and a global supply chain that is providing low prices has helped."

Most of Germany is currently blanketed in snow. Even with a winter like this, the country is looking to generate over 75 gigawatts of electricity from solar this year. The aim is to raise that close to 140 gigawatts by 2028, which will require many more solar panels.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday