Germany is a massive energy consumer. Nuclear power phase-out, meeting of the EU environmental targets, GHG emissions reducing contributed to country's orientation on the renewable energy.
As one of the biggest countries in the European Union with population rate exceeding 80 million, Germany has enormous energy requirements. Until recently the best part of it was satisfied with fossil fuels and other conventional resources of energy. But as time moves on, the new values have been brought to the top positions, suggesting the need to switch to other energy policies. And as the top economical leader, Germany has chosen the path of sustainable energy growth in the field of renewable resources.
The main legislative program in energy sphere is so called Energy Transition (Energiewende), an instruction on the main direction for work and development in the energy sphere. The key policy documents of the Energiewende were published by German government in the late 2010 and got legislative support in 2011. But the term by itself has a way longer history and dates back to 1970's. It appeared due to calls of environmentalists for the better energy sources. Later on the term was used in many scientific researches on ecology and climate change. This fact suggests that German people fell really strong about ecological issues and were ready for changes even half a century ago.
The Energiewende program comprises information on all vital issues concerning the switch to renewable energy. It sets environmental goals to be reached in this context, which agrees with energy policy of the European Union. Among the main Germany's environmental objectives are the following:
-To cut the greenhouse gases emissions by 40% until 2020 and by 80-95% until 2050 as compared to their levels in 1990;
-To boost renewable energy consumption to 18% by 2020 and to 60% by 2050;
-To increase renewable energy share in electricity production to 40-45% until 2025 and to 55-60% until 2035;
-To reduce the total energy consumption by 20% until 2020, by 50% until 2050 (comparing to 2008);
-To enhance energy efficiency twice by 2020 as compared to 1990.
In the total account, Germany's environmental goals surpass those of the European Union.
In order to meet such ambitious goals, the Energiewende represents energy programs aimed at promoting of innovations. The most important in this context is the Renewable Energy Act (EEG – Erneubare-Energie-Gesetz). At the beginning of 1990's Germany adopted a very simple program for renewable energy development. It provided the producers of eco-friendly energy with feed-in tariffs, which ensured the priority for those investing in renewable energy. The solar and wind energy producers were given an access to the grid. The grid operators in their turn were required to buy the renewable energy, with the result of desirable reducing of conventional power plants' share. These tariffs were revised and expanded every several years and eventually gave fruitful results.
Another initiative to back up the renewable energy is the emission trading system (ETS), which limits the emissions in the long-run perspective. It is the key instrument of the EU's environmental policies, which puts a price for carbon dioxide emissions. It is often being criticized, but still it gives quite efficient results, as many producers prefer more sustainable fuels because of it.
Apart from the regulating instruments, Germany implements a very far-seeing approach of energy efficiency improving and consumption reducing. Raising peoples' awareness and installing of energy saving equipment make the lower energy consumption possible for Germany.
Earlier nuclear power provided a great deal of Germany's energy, about 20 percent of total consumption and was one of the main energy resources. But the protests against this energy resource started back in 1970s, calling for more safe energy. The government's decision to phase-out the nuclear energy after the Fukusima disaster in 2011 came as no surprise.
The nuclear energy phase-out is a central issue of the Energiewende. After the law passed legislation, the governing coalition negotiated with the nuclear sector representatives the procedure of withdrawing from service the nuclear power plants after operation term of 32 years. On that moment, there were 17 working plants, all of which are to be shut by 2020. By the 2015 nine of them are still operating. Germany considers the nuclear energy to be unreasonably dangerous and expensive, especially in the context of Chernobyl and Fukusima disasters. However, many analyst say nuclear power phase-out and simultaneous reducing of the fossil fuels and greenhouse gases is a contradictory approach. But Germany seems to handle this situation quite well.
Currently, in terms of RES share the best performing EU member-states are Norway (%65.5), Sweden (52.1%), Latvia (37.1%) In Germany RES share from the total consumption equals to about 12%, which may seem scarce. But as Germany is a large industrious country, this amount represents 20% of total EU renewable energy consumption. With Germany's total consumption of 580TWt, it considerably drives the demand for renewable energy, which is now balanced with the supplies.
It goes without saying, that Germany is now one of the leading promoters of renewable energy. On July 25, 2014 an incredible energy record took place: 78% of daily energy consumption was provided by solar, wind and other RES. That suggests Germany's new energy system to be very effective in the future prospect.
