Solar thermal energy in
Germany
General
For renewable electricity, the Renewable Energy Sources Act
(Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz, EEG) came into operation on April 1st,
2000. It ensured independent power producers, either individuals or
companies, to be able to deliver power to the electricity grid: grid
operators were obliged to accept this power and to pay fixed tariffs to
the producers: feed-in tariffs. The Act was revised in the year 2004
(August 1st, adopted on July 21st, 2004). For the year 2009 new
amendments were made to the Act (adopted on June 6th, 2008). A feed-in
tariff is guaranteed for 20 years for most technologies (only
hydropower has a different period). In order to compensate for
technology learning effects (through economies of scale and efficient
production and conversion) the tariff is each year decreased with a
certain percentage. The objective of the Renewable Energy Sources Act
(EEG) has been to increase the share of total power supply that is
derived from renewables to at least 12.5 per cent by 2010 and at least
20 per cent by 2020. As of 2007 the long-term targets have been made
more ambitious: the 2020 share of renewable energies in electricity
generation aimed for has been increased to 25-30%, and a continued
steady expansion after 2020 is also aimed for.
Regarding renewable heating and cooling, the Bundestag adopted on 6
June 2008 a law on the promotion of renewable energies in the heat
sector (Erneuerbare Energien Wärmegesetz, known as EEWärmeG). This law
entered into force January 1st 2009 and obliges the owners of new
buildings to cover a part of their heating needs from renewable energy.
The EEWärmeG aims at doubling the share of renewable heat from 7 to 14%
by 2020. The law uses of renewables obligations for heating in new
built (or renovation) projects, but leaves investors free to choose
their own energy source.
The law recognises solar energy, biomass, geothermal energy and ambient
air heat. The obligatory part depends on the type of renewable energies
used in the building. It is 15% for solar energy, 30% for biogas and
50% for all the others. Among these other renewables, biomass fuels
(firewood, pellets, chips, etc.) can only be used in high-yield boilers
that comply with air quality legislation. The owners can, if they so
desire, combine several different sources of energy. A solar collector
can in this way be completed by a wood pellet burning boiler. The
EEGWärmeG law does not only consist of obligations. It also reinforces
the program of development of the renewable energies market in
allotting it €500 million per year up to 2012.
On November 7th 2007, the renewable energy law was evaluated and judged
pertinent by the German Parliament. This evaluation is based on
indicators of installed capacity, on the number of tons of CO2
prevented and on the creation of jobs. The Parliament’s report also
recommended increasing the share of renewable electricity to 27% in
2010. The report also called on the adjustment of the feed-in tariff of
certain technologies including onshore and offshore wind power.
According to the draft Directive of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
the target for the share of energy from renewable sources in gross
final consumption of energy in the year 2020 for Germany is 18% (in the
year 2005 the share was 5.8%) (European Parliament legislative
resolution of 17 December 2008).
Renewable energy projections according to the National Renewable Energy Action Plan for Germany
The
National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) for Germany was submitted
in August 2010. The target according to Annex I of Directive 2009/28/EC
is 18% for the year 2020 and the projected NREAP share in that year is
19.6%. According to the projection, the most important
contribution in the year 2020 is expected from biomass (renewable
heating and cooling) (11355 ktoe, 29% of all renewable energy). Second
important contribution is expected from wind power (104.4 TWh or 8980
ktoe, 23% of all renewable energy). The third largest contribution is
from biodiesel (renewable transport) (4443 ktoe, 12% of all renewable
energy). Wind power contributes with 45.8 GW (104.4 TWh) in the year
2020 (onshore wind 35.8 GW and 72.7 TWh, offshore wind 10.0 GW and 31.8
TWh). For solar photovoltaic the 2020 contribution is projected to be
51.8 GW (41.4 TWh). For solar thermal the 2020 contribution is
projected to be 1245 ktoe. The two most important biofuels are
projected to contribute 4443 ktoe (biodiesel) and 857 ktoe (bioethanol
/ bio-ETBE) by 2020. The renewable electricity production from solid
biomass amounts to 24.6 TWh (2113 ktoe) and for biogas it is expected
to be 23.4 TWh (2015 ktoe). The consumption of renewable heat is
expected to amount to 8952 ktoe for solid biomass and 1692 ktoe for
biogas.
Renewable Heating and
Cooling: solar thermal
There
are different subsidy schemes, both on national level and on the level
of the different federal states.
On the Federal level, the new Renewable Energies Heat Act entered into force on 1 January
2009. It stipulates that owners of future buildings must cover part of
their heat supply with renewable energies. This applies to residential
and non-residential buildings for which a building application or
construction
notification was submitted after 1 January 2009. The owner is free to choose which source of renewable energies is
used. The important aspect is that a certain percentage of heat is
generated this way. The percentage depends on the type of energy
employed. If solar power is used, it must cover at least
15 per cent of the heat demand.
At least half of the heat must be generated by renewable energies if
solid or liquid biomass, geothermal energy or ambient heat is used.
For support schemes on state level see http://www.solarserver.de/solar-foerderung/foerderung-der-laender.html)
The most attractive subsidy scheme is
called “Marktanreizprogramm” and is administrated by BAFA, the Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle. The
amount that is paid per m2 collector area depends on the application
and requires certain collector efficiency. In March 2011 the Ministry of Environment published
its new conditions for the MAP subsidy programme, which covers solar thermal
installations, biomass boilers and heat pumps. The new regulations came into
force on 15 March 2011. The directive includes three major
improvements referring to the July 2010 version, when the programme was
restarted after a three-month break with reduced levels of incentives. The subsidy rate for solar collectors of combined
hot water and space heating installations will temporarily increase from
90 to 120 EUR/m2, until 30 December 2011. From 1 January 2012 the
funding level will be back to 90 EUR/m2. The bonus that is paid when replacing the old
boiler with a condensing boiler will be temporarily increased from EUR 400
to EUR 600 until the end 2011. From 2012, a boiler replacement
bonus of EUR 500 will be paid. The “combi bonus” that is paid when a heat pump
or a biomass boiler is combined with a solar thermal system increased from
EUR 500 to EUR 600, until 30 December 2011 and will be reduced to EUR 500 from beginning of 2012. The Extension of already
operating solar thermal systems subsidised with 40 EUR/per additional m². An innovation bonus of 180 EUR/m2 for
special solar heating systems like solar cooling (20 to 40 m2 of collector
area) in new buildings is also in effect.
Two major certification
schemes in Germany are Solar Keymark and Blauer Engel (RAL-UZ 73). The
requirement for the payment by BAFA (see above) is an annual solar
energy yield of at least 525 kWh / m2. Furthermore the requirements
according to the “Blauer Engel” (RAL-UZ 73) have to be fulfilled. For
collectors tested after 01.01.2007 Solar Keymark certification is
required. From 2009 onwards Solar Keymark certification will be
required for all collectors in order to benefit from the BAFA
subsidies.
Large
(solar) heating plants have the possibility to sell CO2 emission
allowances. The energy labelling of buildings required by the European
directive on energy performance of buildings is implemented by means of
the new version of the Energieeinsparverordnung (EnEV) (Energy Saving
Directive) that came into force on October 1st, 2007. Subsidies are
still predominantly based on squaremeter collector area and not on the
overall energy savings of the system. The so-called innovation bonus
which allows for up to the threefold of the standard subsidy rates is a
nice instrument to promote innovative systems such as large-scale solar
thermal systems or solar cooling systems.
Future programme changes
expected
Political
debates are ongoing on an accelerated switch to renewable energies. By
June the Federal Governement announced to present an energy strategy
that will also contain details on solar thermal support schemes. The
outcome will possibly also have effects on the budget of the market
incentive programme (MAP).
Sources
BMU 2009: Act on the Promotion
of Renewable Energies in the Heat Sector
(Erneuerbare-Energien-Wärmegesetz – EEWärmeG) of 2008, (English but
legally non binding version), http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/files/english/pdf/application/pdf/ee_waermeg_en.pdf , (sourced April 2011)
BMU 2009: The Renewable
Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) in brief, Federal Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/inhalt/42351/40512 (sourced April 2011)
BAFA 2011, Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA), Eckdaten zum Marktanreizprogramm 2011, Status 15 March 2011, http://www.solartechnikberater.de/uploads/tx_sbdownloader/MAP-Kurzuebersicht_2011_neu.pdf, (sourced April 2011)
BAFA 2011, Basis-, Bonus- und Innovationsförderung Solar, BAsic, Bonus
and Innovation support/ Overview of rates as of 15 March 2011, http://www.bafa.de/bafa/de/energie/erneuerbare_energien/publikationen/energie_ee_so_uebersicht.pdf, (sourced April 2011)
Solarthermal world 2011: Germany increased funding levels of national subsidy programme, http://www.solarthermalworld.org/node/2852 , (sourced April 2011).
EurObserv'ER Solar Thermal barometer, June 2009, http://www.eurobserv-er.org/pdf/baro191.asp
EurObserv'ER Solar Thermal barometer, May 2010, http://www.eurobserv-er.org/pdf/baro197.asp
ESTIF 2010: Solar Thermal Markets in Europe, Trends and Market Statistics 2009, June 2010, http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/market_data/downloads/2009%20solar_thermal_markets.pdf, (sourced December 2010)
The National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) are all published on the Transparency Platform on Renewable Energy: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform/action_plan_en.htm (sourced July - December 2010)
Renewable Energy Projections as Published in the National Renewable Energy Action Plans of the European Member States, http://www.ecn.nl/nreap (sourced December 2010)
Interactive EurObserv’ER Database
http://www.eurobserv-er.org
Last update: April 2011
This information can be referenced without permission provided that the
source is mentioned completely and correctly: 'Interactive EurObserv'ER
Database, http://www.eurobserv-er.org (date of last update)'
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by Ademe, the French Environment and Energy management Agency. The
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