While a lot of people aren’t paying attention, a new world is being developed in Germany. I’ll be writing more about this in the near future, but for now, I came across a nice video on the indispensable CleanTechnica…
Since the year 2000 Germany has developed from a pro-renewable energy country into a renewable energy powerhouse aiming for a complete transformation of its energy system.
In Germany most of the renewable energy capacity is owned by individuals or community power projects. In this grassroots energy revolution millions of households, villages and even entire regions have already declared their partial or total energy independence by becoming independent power producers. This is driven by the concept of energy autonomy, of not being dependent on multinational corporations or energy sources that destroy the world future generations have to life in. It was made possible by policy frameworks that enabled & encouraged people to invest in renewable energy sources and enforced market access by removing obstacles that prevent renewable energy projects around the world to this very day.
During the first half of the year solar power alone has produced more than 4% of the total power demand in Germany. While the share was rather small with about 1% in January it grew to more than 10% in May as the days got longer and warmer. Each kWh from solar power has been produced during peak-load hours, replacing coal, gas or oil-fired power stations.
Between January and June the combined power production of wind & solar energy was 5.5-7.5 TWh which represents 16-19% of the total power production every month. While wind power was the dominant source of variable renewable energy sources during the winter months, solar power took the lead in May & June 2012. Additionally biomass produced approximately 2.8 TWh and hydro power produced approximately 1.7 TWhs every month.
This video tries to show how this bottom up push toward a 100% renewable energy system looks like. Enjoy the video!
Understandable why the cartels don’t want their users giving up or making their own “Kochcaine”, but what could be more libertarian than personal and sustainable energy independence?
Defies logic why right wing turkeys are still insisting on Christmas.
It wasn’t just happening in Germany. It was really starting to take off in the UK as well until the New Coalition government cut the feed in tariffs and take up in solar dropped 50%. But have a look at this picture taken locally to me;
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3903461/Nottingredohmredred.html
right. they want desperately to stop it – they might slow it down a tad, but technology like this has its own momentum that is unstoppable. It’s becoming like the internet – too compelling to ignore.
Dont fall into the trap that renewable energy is solution to exponential growth or that RE can (or should!!) possibly substitute for the energy we get from fossil fuels… we are in OVERSHOOT already, bottleneck years are ahead. Inevitably. We ignored too important things for too long… Germany is not sustainable, nor will it be in the near future…
Reblogged this on Alternativo21.