With its decision, the subsidies for the solar industry dramatically, the federal government initiated a policy debate that reveals the different ideological positions of the coalition partners.
Actually the trend appears to renewable energies unstoppable. Already, in this sector in Germany employs around 280 000 people, and studies estimate that there could still arise about half a million jobs, while will be lost in the classical energy by 2020 to 50 000 more jobs. Prerequisite for the continued growth of the renewable energies, however, that investments in geothermal, wind and hydropower, solar, bioenergy can not be prevented by policy measures. But this seems exactly the federal government vorzuhaben.
had decided in early March, the Federal Government that as from 1 July, the subsidies of solar systems on roofs by 16 percent and in open areas should be reduced by 15 percent, support for systems on arable land should be deleted altogether. The solar industry, which of the 280 000 Jobs in the renewable energy sector is at least 60 000, has announced protest. Likewise, who ruled from CSU / CDU federal states of Bavaria and Thuringia, who fear that the decisions of the Federal Government against its regional economic interests. The Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer was able to impose at least ensure that the agreed reductions until 1 October to take effect.
It was just the CSU in the past called for halting the construction of photovoltaic systems in open areas so as not to block the allegedly in Germany much-needed agricultural land. But after the state government has found that in addition to some affected areas of East Germany to favor their own state hardest hit by job losses would be discovered there, suddenly the "Solar State of Bavaria." It was said the Handelsblatt reports that they now from the Bavarian State Chancellery, the feared "dissection of the landscape" by solar systems could be contained including funding the construction project.
In contrast to the elimination of subsidies for solar plants on arable land is the reduction in the promotion of solar panels on roofs of little drastic. They refer only to that solar electricity, supplying to the plant operators in the energy networks. Since 1 January is obtained for each kilowatt-hour fed into the grid from 29.37 to 39.14 cents, depending on how big the plant. From 1 July will reduce the allowances to 24.67 to 32.88 cents. Uses of the solar system operator, however, even its power, its gain is much larger, because support for the own consumption will be higher by eight cents. This means: who on or after 1 January a system into operation, which will receive 39.14 cents, and 30 percent of its electricity gets used up, currently 40.23 cents promotion. Who after 1 July is doing the same, 3.86 cents will get less. This represents a funding cut of only 9.6 Percent - not 16 percent as the government market. And this slightly abridged sum subsidy is guaranteed for the next 20 years. Those who installed so for their own use solar panels on the roof has little to fear drastic losses.
work for the solar industry, the subsidy cuts, however threatening. "The extent and rate of production cuts threaten the existence of large parts of the German photovoltaic industry," warns the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW). Support our solar lobby while the Green Party and mayor of Tübingen Boris Palmer, the safeguards against cheap Chinese competition calls. "When is it so, Germany has initial investment of current customers to up to 45 billion €, the solar industry to the decisive moment of take-off to give away the economic benefits of production to the Chinese" module production in Germany would then be no more in a few years ago, fears Palmer, as the majority of jobs would be shifted to Asia. China in particular will benefit from Germany's solar boom. "While Germany with the money from power customers that half the world market for photovoltaic creates to be installed only five percent of the world's plants in China." China's solar industry could say without the German Renewable Energy Law do not exist, says Palmer.
Palmer already has an idea how the German solar industry would be protected from Chinese competition. "We are the imports from China could tomorrow bring to zero if we cancel the feed." Instead, the German module manufacturer to charge that the government should therefore emphasize the subsidy for those facing solar panels on the roof and electricity to the grid. It seems a pity, especially the Chinese manufacturers that have a higher market share in Germany than the local ones.
In view of the plans Palmers surprise it is very unlikely that the FDP opponents the subsidy cuts accuses protectionism and express a free market. The SPD is against policy. It describes the Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg (LBBW) the future of Germany's solar industry is really bleak, "We expect later this year or later than the first half of 2011, the collapse of many small solar companies, but also one or several large companies in the solar sector," Yes. exactly what is expected from the Federal Government and especially of the FDP, which has been used especially for the cuts to be taken into account deliberately. For the once-generous state for political considerations on remittances solar industry to finally the laws of the free market are subjected to the ideas of the economic liberals.
And after the death of the standards is small and not on the world market more competitive company so no harm, but rather part of an economic recovery process. According to this logic will see probably the solar industry, which until now lived to see any new industrial capitalism after an initial expansion and gold mining phase: an accelerated concentration of capital by the assumption or acquisition of small and medium-sized enterprises by large corporations, even if the governments Thuringia and Bavaria, who fear the loss of jobs, do not like. That this will be taken by the federal government purchase could also be linked to the political priorities of the black-yellow coalition, whose benevolent attitude towards the nuclear lobby, the development of renewable energy is generally not encouraged.
But while the companies in the solar industry anxious about their future, are the forecasts for other areas of renewable energy much more optimistic. In particular, the wind energy industry, it seems, despite the crisis to go. Production increased over the previous year by 10.8 billion kilowatt hours. Thus, the renewable energies achieved together have a combined share in total energy consumption of 10.6 percent - in 2008 the figure was 9.5 percent. Electricity consumed by traditional renewable energy sources 16.1 percent. The highest proportion of which was produced with 40.7 per cent by wind turbines. And through the construction of large offshore wind farms off the North Sea coast are expected for the current year even bigger gains.
Now the concentration of capital in the wind energy industry but also significantly higher than in the solar industry. 98 percent of the newly deployed power capacity from wind energy produced by only seven major vendors. Thus, the vulnerability of the wind energy sector in relation to crises and competition is also lower because some large companies stable to survive in the market than many small ones. A move towards fewer larger competitors will force the federal government apparently also in the solar energy industry. But as we see, the coalition has led certain strong inner contradictions fight: While the FDP has a party to the economic social Darwinism of the estimated bankruptcies for a quasi-primitive adaptation process, at least parts of the Union parties jobs seen in that they represent sites at risk - and thus its election results.
Published in: Jungle World No. 11/2010 of 18 March 2010
http://jungle-world.com/artikel/2010/11/40559.html
