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Hot weather furthering solar energy in Germany

better-than-expected progress in harnessing the power of the sun on these hot summer days. Much earlier than expected, solar, wind and water power are expected to cover Germany’s total energy demands.

Renewable energy technology developing faster than expected, Germany | Deutsche Welle | 05.08.2010,  Ben Knight,   Germany is a world leader in developing solar power technology. The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Technology has reported a marked progress in the capacity of renewable energy in Germany. But this could mean the country is running into a supply conflict with nuclear power.

Over-heated trains, dying fish, and devastating forest fires. So far, the extreme summer heat has brought practically nothing but bad news – and with it comes the fact that the planet is getting measurably hotter by the year, with unknown consequences.

But the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy Systems Technology released a report on Thursday that offers a little sun-related succor. The institute has recorded better-than-expected progress in harnessing the power of the sun on these hot summer days. Much earlier than expected, solar, wind and water power are expected to cover Germany’s total energy demands.

Rainer Baake of the environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environment Aid), which commissioned the new report, expressed his delight. “Nobody expected the development of renewable energy to be as quick as we’re experiencing in Germany,” he told Deutsche Welle. “Our government now estimates that in the year 2020 we will already have 40 percent feed-in from renewable sources. That is phenomenal.”

Carsten Pape of the Fraunhofer Institute says this could have a real effect on Germany’s carbon dioxide emissions targets. “Theoretically, because things have developed much faster than expected one could raise the targets and say, ‘more is possible.’ The CO2 emissions through energy production could be reduced by around 40 percent,” he said…….

Renewable energy technology developing faster than expected | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 05.08.2010

August 7, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, renewable | climate change, global warming, renewable energy, solar