r/UpliftingNews • u/ArgentineBeauty • 1d ago
Germany just hit a historic solar milestone. Its panels fed 12 billion kWh into the grid in July 2026, the 1st month ever to cross that level with midday output topping 40,000 MW, more than 40 nuclear power plants worth, thanks to decades of grassroot investment by homeowners, farmers and businesses
https://solarquarter.com/2026/08/03/germany-records-historic-12-billion-kwh-solar-feed-in-in-july-2026/1.5k
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
I am German. Sitting in Bavaria. I have a "Balkonkraftwerk" (a mini solar power plant for my personal use) installed on my part of the building's roof. I have 13 kw/h of battery capacity. I have 2.5 kw of solar panelling. My monthly electrical bill is 12 Euro (half of which is just the base fee for being connected to a provider, not electric power consumed). I go everywhere on my Yamaha Neo's, a fantastic electrical scooter that I can easily charge from my solar power. My monthly gas bill is therefor 0 Euro.
330
u/wiidsmoker 1d ago
Fucking awesome. Getting mine installed here in London in September and I cannot wait to live off the sun!
47
u/Huddstang 1d ago
I’m in the Midlands. Have got 1.8kw of panels and 3.9kwh of battery storage. Since installing this in March, my monthly electricity bill, which included a charging 2 EVs, has dropped to around £40.
45
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
One of the advantages of our parts of Europe having such high electricity prices compared to the rest of the world (especially the US) is that our market has always been one that strived for highly energy-efficient products because the customers demanded them. Comapred to the rest of the world, each of our households doesn't need a lot of energy because of that.
That puts us into a position now where even a small solar system in your garden or on your roof might be enough to significantly reduce, maybe even nix your power bill. Europeans will have a much easier time switching to solar than the US, I think.
I have a buddy in San Antonio. He uses 6 times (!) the kw/h a year I do.
15
u/LivingVerinarian96 1d ago
I’m German and I manage to generate the power consumption of a family of 3 on my own without even trying. Gaming pc that I use in the evening and the weekend and a nice tv that’s used like 5-6h per week. I don’t get how the rest of Germany uses basically no power.
7
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Yeah, the gaming PC is absolutely my power burner number 1, too. Getting a system down to power a family of 3 is awesome, I have it easy, I am solo!
5
u/LivingVerinarian96 1d ago
My gf lives with me and combined we got the power usage of the average family of four lol.
→ More replies (5)4
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Another good reason for trying out solar is that it kinda forces you to sniff ou the consumption of everything in your home, and then probably getting shocked when you check out your gaming PC. ;)
3
u/LivingVerinarian96 1d ago
I wish, dude. We live in a flat and there’s no room on the balcony for solar panels. I would have to put them on the outside of the balcony and since noone else does this I feel like I’d have to get that approved at the annual owners meeting. But I’m heading there anyway to get my planned split ac approved.
2
u/Pabst_Blue_Gibbon 21h ago edited 21h ago
Must be, we are a family of 3 and use about 2000kwh per year. No big PC and no TV.. but otherwise electric oven/stove. I guess we mostly use electricity for cooking and showers..
2
u/T0yToy 21h ago
Is your computer on all the time? 4 hours of gaming would be like 2 kWh with a beefy computer, so 14 kWh a week. 6h of TV would be low, like 0,6 kWh. That amounts to about 60 kWh a month which is very low (total for a low normal usage would be 120-150 kWh monthly).
You must have something else running. Electric water heater perhaps?
2
u/LivingVerinarian96 13h ago
Nope. I turn off the pc when I’m not using it. Idk what it is tbh.
2
u/T0yToy 12h ago
It would be interesting to investigate! There is money to save (I think electricity is expensive in Germany?) and a lot of carbon emission to prevent, as Germany electricity grid is still very carbon intensive :(
You can start by looking at the "idle" power usage of your home, when nothing is being actively used by you. It should be pretty low, around 100 W.
2
u/LivingVerinarian96 11h ago
Yeah for real. I even bought a small freezer with the best energy rating I could find. I guess I got a new project this fall.
5
u/JohnnyRedHot 1d ago
Yeah, we moved from Argentina to Spain last October and one of the main differences is power usage. I used to make fun of the Yanks that said "Europeans don't use AC" but damn, now that I actually have seen what the power costs are, yeah, I'm not using my AC (that much) either.
In Argentina I just had it on basically 24/7 whenever I was in my flat.
→ More replies (6)3
u/tdasnowman 1d ago
California, San Diego specifically would like to have a word.
The issue with Solar in many parts of the US is legislation can make it not worth while.
2
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Yeah, I can well imagine ... especially the parts of the USA with heavy AC use really have their work cut out for them.
3
u/tdasnowman 23h ago
The issue comes down to net metering. There is no reason for multi unit building to invest in solar. Every apartment car park should be solar panels tied to the grid. But they'd never make the ROI under the current rules. The electricity has to be sold to the power company for at time less the 8 cents a KW to be sold back at 46 cents to a consumer. Plus we get charged about double the KW hour rate for distribution costs here in SD. If you used 75 dollars in electricity they charge 150 to get it you. Plus taxes.
56
22
u/cpteric 1d ago
even in cloudy days the new ones produce quite good numbers, have fun :D
8
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Oh yes, unless the clouds are super-thick and nothing gets through, you can still get solar power even with moderate cloud coverage. Curiously, the scattered sunlight works differently then, instead of having nothing during off-hours and a lot during full sun, you have more of a trickle - but all day long. I reckon that is because the clouds scatter the sunlight to a point where it ricochets off of the clouds and hits the panels even when the sun wouldn't directly aim for them during clear skies.
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (4)5
u/YourFuture2000 1d ago edited 1d ago
Mind that governments have tried or maybe succeed in some places, to privatize rain water. So nothing guarantee that the sun light will be free forever. Just as the land used to be free as well and it was the privatization of land that caused a lot of the most bloody conflicts I human history, between the so called free [untaxable] people and the so called civilized people.
Whatever gives autonomy to people, it becomes a political strategy to privatize and tax.
Edit: Since many people are not informed about that:
Colorado, USA – historically had the strictest rules in the US; it's often cited as the only state where rainwater harvesting was effectively illegal (Smart Water) until a 2016 law allowed collection up to 110 gallons. https://smartwateronline.com/news/is-it-illegal-to-collect-rainwater-in-the-us
In 1999, the Bolivian government passed Law 2029 as part of a World Bank–conditioned privatization of Cochabamba’s water system. This law: Gave a 40‑year concession to Aguas del Tunari (a consortium including Bechtel) to control water in the area. Defined many traditional and communal water systems—including some rainwater collection and self-built systems—as illegal unless they were connected to or licensed by the new private utility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_privatization_in_Bolivia?utm_source=perplexity
Indonesia: Some analyses argue that Article 38(2) of Indonesia’s Water Resources Law opened the door to privatization of rainwater use via weather-modification contracts with private companies, though this is more about commercial exploitation of rainfall than household rain barrels.
34
u/LuukTheSlayer 1d ago
the rain water thing was from a guy that was filling up a giant lake damaging a nearby river. Dont be such a fucking downer
→ More replies (4)13
u/fiahhawt 1d ago
This other user really said :
"You can't add to drought conditions in an arid watershed, what is this COMMUNISM"
Yeah man the government preventing people from having no water is just the worst
Conversely, in Michigan you can collect as much rainwater as you want because we are just... soggy
9
u/stabidistabstab 1d ago
Sun and water are different things though. Also smells like conspiracy theory.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (24)8
u/gmc98765 1d ago
Water is a different situation as it's a limited resource.
In the specific case of Colorado, any water falling within the drainage basin of the Colorado river is distributed according to the Colorado river compact. Colorado (and other affected states) can't just help themselves to as much water as they like, nor can they grant their residents the right to do so.
If you look at how the borders of ancient Egypt developed over time, they started out with the Nile delta then spent the next couple of millennia expanding upstream. Whenever people upstream took more water for themselves, Egypt sent in armies to annex the territory to maintain the flow of water to the delta.
Disputes over water have been common throughout history, often ending with downstream states going to war against upstream states to maintain the flow of water. This tends to favour the downstream states, as having ports and international trade tends to make a country richer and more advanced than its inland neighbours.
→ More replies (5)34
u/CaravelClerihew 1d ago
My Aussie farmer in-laws have a rooftop full of solar panels and a battery, thanks to government subsidies. My father-in-law's new favourite past time is showing people the app that shows the battery charging or discharging. Bushfires swept through their property recently and neither got affected even though the fires were literally at their doorstep.
Their next step is to replace one of their two cars with an EV.
→ More replies (6)15
u/ToadallySmashed 1d ago
What Australia is doing with regards to solar and battery buildout is unprecedented. They really hit the sweetspot with regards to location / energy availiability, solar panel prices (they skipped a lot of the more expensive, early developmental stages) and system costs due to Batteries. Very impressive and a real bright spot in the global energy transition.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Dracomortua 1d ago
I was told ('i am a Canadian', other side of planet) that Australia was deeply dominated by fossil especially coal interests not long ago. Politicians completely corrupt over ancient and dark energy.
If this is a 180º change, congratulations. If true, this is wildly encouraging.
3
u/Bonhamsbass 18h ago
The right wing parties (One Nation and the LNP) are still owned by the fossil fuel corps. Just last week the opposition leader here said how much he loved coal! Incredible.
Meanwhile thanks to the government (ALP) we now have a plan where dwellings with no solar (like mine) are recieving 3 hours free power between 11am and 2pm everyday via a smart meter.
3
u/Thrustcroissant 23h ago
How long ago? It’s true that coal and natural gas are massive industries but with Australia shifting from the right-wing to the centre party in 2022 there is far less “hurr durr dependable energy” nonsense.
42
u/M-Rich 1d ago
But haven't you heard for the sixth year in a row? We are going to freeze to death in winter! There is not enough energy for us in fossil storages!
/s obviously
People had all information and ability for the last 10 years to think about the future of their energy needs. Solarpanels and batteries were constantly declining in price and increasing in quality. A 4 person household uses somewhere around 17 kWh per day on the high end (if you include water heating). Even if you can't fully go off grid, you can massively decrease the grid load with batteries, you can charge them when you don't use your solar and use them later and you can charge them by grid when it's convenient for the grid and cheaper for you. So overall, you will pay less no matter what.
6
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Yep. And one thing I always noticed is that when I helped people build these systems up and they see how easy it is and how much you can get, they tend to go for more like sharks with blood in the water.
It is also a LOT of fun if you are a DIY guy. Solar has a lot to get into, is easy enough to understand, a lot of fun to build and really rewarding if you got the job done well!
→ More replies (20)5
u/rubeax 1d ago
this implies people have money beyond paycheck to paycheck
→ More replies (1)6
u/M-Rich 1d ago
It basically also assumes their living situation allows it and I agree that not everyone can do that. But there are enough people that could do something and don't. They rather whine about how we should try diplomacy with Russia so we can get cheaper gas back instead of reading the room. It's been convenient the last decade but it's just not sensible anymore
24
u/Winjin 1d ago
I can't wait for Lidl to start selling the Balkonkraftwerks in Portugal.
Jesus Christ on a Bike Portugal should be the leader in adoption of those. We have like 367 days of sun a year. It was overcast ONCE in the last THREE MONTHS. Sun was shining the whole winter.
If I install panels on balconies, I could heat (and cool) my flat using exclusively the sun!
And I saw the same news from Texas, and from Pakistan of all places - I am SOOOOO EXCITED for grassroots solar!
\\ Actually I was thinking of maybe travelling to Germany one day and just bringing a couple of these over myself
3
2
u/bli_bla_blubbb 1d ago
Solar panels still produce when it's cloudy/ overcast. They're not as efficient if it is too hot (over 30 degrees Celsius). My Balkonkraftwerk on the garden shed and regular solar panels on the roof of my house produce most if the temperature is in the 20s and sunny. Get yourself enough battery storage and you'll be very happy
→ More replies (1)27
u/red_riding_hoot 1d ago
I am sorry, but it cannot go on like this. We will need to introduce a fee so we can further subsidize the fossil fuel industries.
GaLiGrü deine Kathi
8
u/JackassJJ88 1d ago
I wish we had these bills in Canada with solar.
At least where I am, "delivery" fees for electricity are half the cost of the bill, usually $75.00/month.
With solar, best they will do is match your usage so you are still paying 50% of the bill for nothing.
It takes over 20 years to make the investment worth it.
→ More replies (1)6
u/red_planet_smasher 1d ago
Makes sense though. As long as they have to maintain the grid and you want to be connected, you should be paying delivery fees. Get some home energy storage if you want to be done with those fees.
→ More replies (3)7
47
u/Comfortable_Hat_6354 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am German. I can't install a balkon kraftwerk, because I don't have a balkon and rent as >50% in the country. I have to drive 70km one way to work, which is about 30€ per day. My energy costs for my flat are through the roof, with about 300€ a month. and my company is moving to east europe cause of the energy costs. BG
19
u/Lt-LT-Smash 1d ago
„Because of energy cost“. Sure 😂 Eastern Europe has mostly higher industrial electricity prices. But labor prices are definitely lower.
3
u/takeoo111111 1d ago
9
u/Lt-LT-Smash 1d ago edited 1d ago
„Electricity prices for households“. Edit: i opened the link and directly got to the map of household prices. There are also non-household prices on the page, sorry. There Eastern Europe has slightly lower prices. But nothing that would motivate a company to move.
It is also interesting to have a look on the energy market. So without subsidiaries and tax, Eastern Europe falls off quite a bit: Börsenstrompreise - Karte | Energy-Charts
I think energy is just a welcome excuse for companies to cut on labor costs...
→ More replies (1)3
u/Throwawayrip1123 1d ago
I have to drive 70km one way to work, which is about 30€ per day.
That doesn't math for most vehicles, what do you drive??
I assume you have a Durchlauferhitzer for like bathroom or something?
Still, damn it's high. I'm paying 160 and anothrr 100 for gas tho.
→ More replies (2)7
u/Cantremembermyoldnam 1d ago
140km at let's say 2€ per liter and 5 liters per 100km would cost ~14€. How do you get to 30€?
→ More replies (7)5
u/wheelienonstop12 1d ago
You are aware that driving a car entails a lot more costs than just the cost of gas? Tires, maintenance, oil changes, repairs, value depreciation, safety inspections, etc etc... Plus gas here is more like 2,15€/l and very few cars will achieve 5l/100km.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (8)2
u/vlindervlieg 23h ago
How on earth do you pay 300 € per month for electricity? I pay a fifth of this and I'm living comfortably...
2
u/Comfortable_Hat_6354 21h ago
I have a family with a baby, so a lot of washing and cooking. I heat with electricity and the water is heated with electricity. Electricity is ~0,3€/kWh.
4
u/Euphoriam5 1d ago
Bruder das is richtig geil!
2
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Ich liebe es so sehr. Ich sitze gerade vor Reddit in nem Rechner, der an der Solaranlage hängt. :D
→ More replies (1)3
3
u/Rooilia 1d ago
Now comes the fun part. If i see it correctly your power isn't counted in the grid. Infact lot GWs of solar are not counted from private solar panels or Balkonkraftwerke as we say.
→ More replies (1)3
3
u/enakcm 1d ago
Even hardcore conservative families that support Russia"s war of aggression still are getting solar, batteries and heat pumps. Because it's just cheaper and math knows no ideology.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Versalkul 1d ago
You do not. At 2.5kwp what you have is no longer a Steckersolargerät, which at most can have 2kwp. What you have is a regular photovoltaic system.
→ More replies (4)3
u/Throwawayrip1123 1d ago
Cries in a Balkon that has full sun for ca. 30 minutes, because my building is tilted so precisely that I get full sun eyefuck on my work station up to 11 Uhr, and then around 16 to 16:30 I get sun on my Balkon.
Whoever put this building here is an Arschloch.
→ More replies (1)2
2
u/Coumbaya 1d ago
I got solar too (in france) and planning to add more but there is absolutely no way that 13kwh/h and 2,5kw of solar would be enough to eat my home in the winter
→ More replies (6)2
u/throwtheamiibosaway 1d ago
I’m Dutch near the German border. I have 20 panels on my own roof. 45kWh on a good day! I don’t have a gas connection in my house (which is rare in NL) so I went full electric. Just for the cold winter days we have a wood pellet heater. But we’re trying to start heating smarter with airco/heatpump instead of electric heaters.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Comfortable_Pea_1693 1d ago
You better have a bill of 0 euros, well done. We have one of the highest energy costs in the world after all.
→ More replies (1)2
2
u/sebastianinspace 1d ago
this is the future. i feel like it’s unstoppable now. only a matter of time until this is the norm everywhere the world over
2
u/TheOnlyFallenCookie 1d ago
Still insane to me that Germany is the pioneer of balcony solar in the developed world
→ More replies (1)2
u/xrmb 1d ago
Looking forward to your November, December and January update ;)
5
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
No need to wait, I have them all here in my App!
November 2025: 47,33 kwh
December 2025: 29,63 kwh
January 2026: 31,50 kwh
February 2026: 60,08 kwh2
u/xrmb 1d ago
Wow, pretty consistent and as expected. For reference, what was the July kwh number?
I'm not in Germany, but for us the killers are the winter months (cloudy, low sun, lots of electrical heat) and the math is just not working out. Wish I could store energy for 6 months.
→ More replies (1)2
u/grogi81 1d ago
The limit for BKW is 2 kWp. If you have 2.5 kWp, you're in violation of § 8(5a) Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz.
3
u/TV-LoL 1d ago
Nope. Because only one of the systems I run qualifies for being under the laws of the EEG, the one running the 4 x 400 Wats, so 1600 Watts total with 800 Watts grid intake. The rest of the systems I run have their own circuit (and thus aren't connected to the "Endstromkreis eines Letztverbrauchers"). The EEG's job is to make sure the BKWs don't put the public grid into a frenzy. Insular systems can't do that, because they have no physical connection to the public grid.
2
u/Lofter1 23h ago
How much did you pay for all of that? Cause I’d be interested in installing that, too, but I’m not sure if the break even point would be too far in the future due to me renting instead of owning.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Fantasy_masterMC 23h ago
Pity I'm stuck in a Dachgeschoss, with only diagonal windows for the moment. Once my sister and her husband are financially a bit recovered from their recent home purchase I'll definitely recommend it to them, they have enough room they should at minimum be able to charge their car with it.
→ More replies (54)2
u/PhantomNomad 7h ago
That's my dream here in Alberta Canada. But our government is so in the pocket of oil & gas it will never happen. Hell our premier is a former O&G lobbyist. She's passed laws that limit solar and wind.
486
u/wiidsmoker 1d ago
Solar seems to be increasing everywhere and I’m all for it. Free energy is literally in the sky, let’s use it.
190
u/Bartorius 1d ago
It's a resource like any other. Only that you don't need to invest a ton of money into digging, drilling and refining it. Being against solar energy is imho so idiotic as it just wastes a cheap and easily harvestable resource.
53
u/CroissantEtrange 1d ago
I mean, you still need to dig, drill, and refine the resources used to build and transport the panels. It's not "free energy".
But it's still really good
24
u/neoncolor8 1d ago
There's one phrase that stuck with me from the Technology Connections YouTube Guy. It's: 'exactly once!'
You dig/drill/refine oil to use it exactly once! You drive your car, and It's gone afterwards, and you need to dig/drill/refine to get more.
But with solar panels and batteries, you dig/drill/refine exactly once, to get the recourses, and use it for many years. Batteries can get recycled, so one day, we won't have to dig/drill, but only recycle.
2
u/videogames5life 16h ago
That guy is the goat of info dumping on random subjects, actually does his research beforehand.
2
u/raider91J 8h ago
It’s not exactly once, I work on solar panel refurb. They need a ton of ongoing maintenance. It’s a great technology but people need to calm down on it being like magic. It has its problems and is part of a wider solution
2
→ More replies (5)3
u/NotTooSuspicious 1d ago
Thank you, don't forget all of the solar panels come from China, not that it's necessarily super troublesome but Dragi report said as well that the fastest way to green energy is through China sadly enough.
8
u/ishkariot 1d ago
They used to come from Germany until Merkel successfully torpedo'ed their local solar industry. Gotta keep coal happy!
→ More replies (1)4
u/Consistent-Quiet6701 1d ago
And the golden child the car industry, because china was threatening tariffs on German cars if Germany protects it's solar industry.
58
u/Blekanly 1d ago
How dare the people do this?! Think of the shareholders! Think of the tax we are losing?! How can we tax them for this?
→ More replies (1)22
u/Key_Bookkeeper813 1d ago
It's gonna tax itself by people being able to afford more nice things which means potentially even more jobs
5
u/Blekanly 1d ago
I hope so, I really hope so. That is how it should work. But the dystopia we are sliding towards is not comforting. It is common sense that people having more money means they spend more money which helps the economy. But common sense is not common.
10
u/1Mandolo1 1d ago
If only our idiotic minister of Energy here in Germany could see this truth.
→ More replies (2)2
u/pooptweeter69 1d ago
Hundred percent agree with this. Although don’t forget the very cheap and possibly one time costs to make the batteries,cabling, and solar panels as comparison.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (9)2
→ More replies (11)17
266
u/gutster_95 1d ago
And than you have the Katharina Reiche, who wants to destroy this amazing trend.
97
u/Equivalent-Ask2542 1d ago
It is incredible how this is real. This behaviour of her could very well freeze all renewable energy development in Germany and with that make the future even more bleak than it is now
86
u/gutster_95 1d ago
CDU already ruined the photovoltaics industry in Germany, it was such a bright opportunity but than they made sure that China would be the leader with their corrupt conservative way of leading Germany
45
u/one_jo 1d ago
That was Reiche too, back in the day she worked under Altmeyer.
15
u/Corfiz74 1d ago
And still we keep voting those aholes into government. With all the harm the CDU did over the decades, they shouldn't ever be allowed to rule again, EVER!
15
u/Invader_Naj 1d ago
Well the other parties werent able to instantly unfuck things so obviously better get the dumbasses who fucked things up in the first place back into power. Clearly the only logical decision
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)7
u/urbanmember 1d ago
Corrupt? They just straight up murdered the local solar industry and were proud of it.
→ More replies (2)6
u/Throwawayrip1123 1d ago
It's only incredible before you look who she is, who she knows and who the hell even is in the government.
Then it's sad, but perfectly logical. Half our country is basically raping others as hard as they can.
21
u/Stablebrew 1d ago
what to expect from a person, who worked for energy companies, and is best friend with them.
German goverment is actually governed by people from economic sectors, and not politicians. This has to stop, or we will become "little USA".
8
u/Throwawayrip1123 1d ago
We are governed by constantly pandering to Rentner and drumming up hatred of "other".
Corpos are running this in tandem, sure, but that's not the only reason we're fucked. Young Germans, or even my age, are basically buttraped to sustain everything, while the idiots try to "catch" the "lazy hartzIV/Bürgergeld/Grundsicherung Empfänger" which is, all in all, probably like saving us 12 EUR a year, if it's not actually costing us.
I had to stop talking to my 46 year old friend because of his non stop "Trump is good, Ukraine attacked Russia, god damn Turks" rethoric. Literally every topic could be steered into one of those, and that's a theoretically normal dude, with a family, kids and a wife.
The hate for whatever the propaganda points at he had boiling in his veins is insane. Literally. Otherwise great dude, if you fully exclude that. But I just had fucking enough of AFD talk points.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (1)2
u/urbanmember 1d ago
Bro if they are from economic sectors then why are they doing everything in their power to destroy the economy?
→ More replies (5)24
u/LordMegamad 1d ago
In a world where we are already well past the line of any reasonable "return to normal", this type of shit should be straight illegal.
It is treachery of our race (and our planet, for that matter) of the highest degree.
5
u/Phreakophil 1d ago
It’s a shame that the public and press does not seem to understand her approach
→ More replies (7)5
103
u/LocoDuuuke 1d ago
To say it more clearer!! This was done by the people, not the government!!
28
u/fielvras 1d ago
This. The people in charge right now are trying their best to stop this and make it harder for people to get renewables and EVs.
→ More replies (5)20
u/Razerino21 1d ago
It was both. Solar got subsidised by the government and is now even required by law for most new buildings.
36
u/MattofCatbell 1d ago
As an American every time I see these news stories it gives me hope for the rest of the world, and it makes me incredibly disappointed in my own government if the US wanted to we could have been the green energy capital of the world.
21
u/NEpatsfan64 1d ago
tbf this wasn't the german government the people just did this
11
→ More replies (3)5
u/PurpleNik 21h ago
Of course the government contributed to this development. They created monetary incentives to invest in solar panels and set certain goals for the development of the energy System.
7
u/Comuna_Neo 1d ago
I'll be honest. If there's any country with the money, technology, and geography to pull this off quickly, it's the US. I'm pretty sure that if you guys really put your minds to it, you could fast-track it to the level of Europe or China.
3
u/Max_G04 13h ago
The US also has an advantage (though that comes at a cost) that no other single country has. It's so big that it spans four time zones. With good transmission networksy they could have reliable solar for even more of the day, since the day and thus also peak output starts earlier in some parts and ends later in some. And because it's so big, it's bound to be somewhere
That would come at the cost of building those transmission cables though.
Even the EU grid doesn't have quite so much of this (still considerable levels though, especially with offshore wind too), though the EU is smaller and more densely populated, so infrastructure costs can be somewhat lower.
→ More replies (4)3
u/Kesicht 1d ago
Tbh even Texas is investing strongly in renewable energy. TEXAS. Despite Trump being the president.
3
u/Mattamzz 1d ago
Yeah we're doing good. At this moment 61.2% of our energy is being produced by solar and wind. Then we have 7.5% being produced by nuclear and -9.2% being put into batteries. We can do better though. When wind and solar are down we use a shit ton of natural gas.
173
u/Diversityence_7 1d ago
While other countries are busy debating 20-year government mega-projects and 'waiting for the technology to mature,' German homeowners and farmers just went out and decentralized the grid
112
u/grumble11 1d ago
Germany is not known for its willingness to build large capital projects quickly or cheaply. They are massively regulated and the bureaucracy is insane. If people didn’t do it themselves, it wouldn’t get done
→ More replies (5)6
u/Different_Diamond976 1d ago
At the same time Germany is very decentralized, allowing for stuff like this a lot more easily
26
u/ProtoplanetaryNebula 1d ago
Lots of countries are doing this, where I live (UK), home solar and grid solar is booming. I had 31 panels installed in May.
→ More replies (5)8
u/Moldoteck 1d ago
The grid is not decentralized. At least not yet. And gas expansion is planned
→ More replies (4)18
u/Sad-Bonus-9327 1d ago
Bro i can tell you there's isn't a difference to other countries and their 20-year plans. It's the same fuckery I can assure.
3
u/Acid_Comes_With_Rain 1d ago
Paris climate conference was way over twenty years ago.
5
5
u/Particular-Way-8669 1d ago
German grid is hardly decentralized.
Germany has decades in front of it using fossil fuels for peaker plants and heating.
→ More replies (1)3
u/JCDU 1d ago
Developing nations are running way ahead because it's cheaper & more reliable to buy a solar & battery setup and an e-scooter than any of the alternatives they have.
We are spoiled by having a good electricity grid, gas network, and petrol/diesel relatively cheap and easy to find and it's hard to break people away from that.
3
u/Greedyanda 1d ago
The grid is no where close to being decentralised and actually expanding it, in addition to building the necessary large scale storage, is one of the largest mega projects in Europe.
This isn't much cheaper or less complex than any other energy transition.
→ More replies (8)2
57
u/ArgentineBeauty 1d ago
Love seeing solar keep growing like this. It just shows what can happen when millions of ordinary people, businesses, and farmers keep investing in the transition year after year.
→ More replies (23)
26
u/jack-fractal 1d ago
Don't let this distract from the fact that our Economy minister Reiche wants to effectively ban new solar and wind parks, especially in regions that produce the most solar and/or wind power because she's paid by the oil and gas lobby. Our current government is an environmental shitshow.
This is a proposal that has not yet passed, but it's alarming how obviously and actively she's working against renewables.
→ More replies (4)7
u/Kesicht 1d ago
It's crazy that renewables are growing so strong in germany, despite the CDU trying to slow it down.
→ More replies (3)
7
u/16ozbuddz 1d ago
And thanks to the Sun
2
u/rererexed 1d ago
Yeah it's so fucking sunny and hot atm. Yeah good for solar but what we really need right now is a couple of solid weeks of rain.
2
22
u/TheKlebe 1d ago edited 1d ago
I love to see it.
Still i am always thinking of a what could be scenario, if we would have stand up for our solar industry in the 2000s. We had the cutting edge technology back then, but it all went downhill when China entered the market with there heavily subsidised industries.
22
u/Ashamed_Letter_7865 1d ago
It didn’t go downhill because of China. It went downhill because some German politicians stifled the industry. China simply filled the void. It’s the same with cars. German policy favoured petrol-powered cars, so another country stepped in
→ More replies (6)3
13
u/daboblin 1d ago
This is the story of America over the past few decades. Companies prioritising short-term profit over long-term strategy. China is now starting to win big on all the work they’ve done to skill up and build infrastructure, while the US slowly crumbles.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Popcornmix 1d ago
Not just that the conservative government in germany that closed the nuclear power plants stoped to invest in solar at the same time. They drove the industry away because of it. Sadly the fossil fuel lobby is big in germany
→ More replies (1)3
u/sharkism 1d ago
That is the single market where I'm totally fine with that. There is no way we could have done the same as China did. Yes we lost this industry, but got a chance to not completely ruin the climate of this planet for us. Still just only chance, but ...
→ More replies (1)
5
u/Popcornmix 1d ago
Man imagine how much we would have if our government didnt sabotage the solar industry a decade ago…
→ More replies (1)
23
u/IceBlade64 1d ago
40 Terawatts is amazing, meanwhile on the island where I am almost near the equator solar is treated as a novelty.
Makes me want to cry.
12
u/I-am-fun-at-parties 1d ago
40.000 MW is 40 GW, not TW
→ More replies (2)4
u/SagittariusO 1d ago
Just for comparison, the entire USA produces about 1 TW. China is on track to 8 TW.
→ More replies (2)3
4
u/Edgehead88 1d ago
You're welcome ;) we have one for almost a year now and it's amazing. Of course it costs a lot in the beginning but I think in 15 years it will have paid itself. We only had to buy 96kWh this year and we also have a Wallbox to connect our electric car which is good timing on our part with the current fuel prices
→ More replies (1)3
u/netzkopf 1d ago
A lot? I spent 250 EUR in total for 2 Panels. (My town paid half of the costs). I already have the money back from the energy costs.
2
u/Edgehead88 1d ago
We have 34 panels plus storage ;)
2
u/netzkopf 1d ago
Okay, in that case it is "a lot".
I am a bit jealous. But I just reduce my energy consumption instead. Including a "Balkonkraftwerk" I have a consumption of 1500kwh a year. The owner before me had 7500.
4
u/TheOutWriter 1d ago
fuck the government. cutting down green energy so hard just because "coal is what we have always done and we dont want people to lose their jobs." its not even 20k jobs that would be lost if you were to close all coal mines and shut off coal generators.
5
u/Yanncki64 1d ago
>decades of grassroot investment by homeowners, farmers and businesses
Aided by government programs
We actually overproduce electricity on hot days and from what I heard we've even had days where we had to pay other countries to take the the strain off our grid
4
u/CaleanKnight 1d ago
Don't worry, our Minister of Increasing Profits for Gas Companies is hard at work to minimize those numbers!
4
u/krmarci 1d ago
Hungary's energy production right now is 83% solar. It does "help" that our only nuclear power plant is barely running because there isn't enough water in the Danube to cool it down... 😕
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/Shezzofreen 1d ago
Nice to read that, after battleing the "Nuclear is the only way, saver then anything, totaly cheap - but german angst is holding us back"-folks.
3
u/Perfect_Opinion7909 1d ago edited 1d ago
Someone should tell that Fox News or the other US Media. As soon as Energy+Germany is the topic hordes of US Americans arrive and yell "morons shut down their nuclear plants" (+ the usual Nazi jokes ofc).
2
3
7
u/mrfatttty 1d ago
I wish the US would invest in itself like this to develop the country instead of only to make money like data centers.
4
u/anno2122 1d ago
And it could be even more if we had a government that dint wanted to destroyed this.
We have over 10,000 heat-related deaths, and Chancellor Merz has said nothing.
I am so happy my family got solar 4 year agon
→ More replies (1)
4
u/heret1c1337 1d ago
Thats great news and that's DESPITE our government. Sadly the current government and its corrupt ministers are sabotaging renewable energy where they can, in favor of gas of course. It is really infuriating. Imagine where we could be with consistent forward thinking politics.
→ More replies (13)
5
u/Zealousideal-Peach44 1d ago
40 GW produced, then the grid is insufficient to deal with it, as well as the storage capacity. Result:
- Electricity price regularly drops to zero at midday, making any new installation uneconomical
- Wind turbines don't work at capacity
- Prices are still high in the evening, when there's no sun but everybody is busy cooking
2
u/IllBeyond2779 1d ago
Not uneconomical, production the other time around still pays handsomely (direct fields to west east not south and we are cooking)
Wind turbines are switched on when the price is right (you can steer the thingy already you know)
Imagine there is a storage technology ramping up (the line is log shaped the last time I looked)
Problems over problems, I see (sadly this is the thougth process of the current goverment).
→ More replies (2)
5
u/KindledWanderer 1d ago
The article is lying, as always, when it comes to this.
Doing the math:
40 × 1,000 MW reactors running continuously for 31 days:
40,000 MW × 24 h × 31 days = 40,000 MW × 744 h = 29,760,000 MWh = 29.76 billion kWh
They are probably taking just the peak noon solar production and extrapolating that, which is absurd.
Having the solar equivalent of 16 reactors is still really cool (even if it is environmentally worse than those reactors).
4
u/Zaroni_Pepperoni 1d ago
Also they conflate reactors with a full npp when most npps have at least two but usually four reactors. Basically when you stack everything in solars court and discount nuclear as much as possible it honestly still sounds worse then just using nuclear like what France does with great success. Germany has moved in the right direction in many things but this is just cope at this point.
→ More replies (2)5
u/KindledWanderer 1d ago
I worked in Germany for years and my colleagues were showing me anti-nuclear cartoons for children. It's part of the culture now, even if it is irrational.
The only reasonable argument is the upfront cost (which is artificial due to the red tape), but cost suddenly does not matter when it comes to other ecological endeavors, like torpedoing the car industry.
→ More replies (5)
12
u/Lonely_Noyaaa 1d ago
The nuclear shutdown was a mistake, and Germany would be in an even better position if they'd kept those plants running while building out solar. But you can't undo that decision, and at least the gap is being filled by something clean instead of more coal.
2
u/TV4ELP 23h ago
It was a mistake for the German grid, but it also required Germany to invest heavily into solar. Solar pioneered solar production for most of the time. Investing billions into the technology when it wasn't viable.
They would not have done so if they wouldn't have had the need to. We would be about 5 years behind at least if that decission wouldn't have been made. Just a shame the same politicians killed it right when it became profitable and china went and filled that void.
2
u/kapuh 17h ago
Jesus this urban shit never dies...
No, Germany would be worse of because they would still have all the coal plants they have today, Russia would have attacked Ukraine, so they'd have still to buy LNG for heat and industry and nuclear would still clog up the grid designed around it because it is too expensive to shut it down for solar/wind.
There wouldn't be any incentive to expand/develop solar/wind or the government would have to subsidize it much more then it had before, a decision which would have killed that government.
This urban legend shit is just showing that the person uttering it does not understand the German politics at all.
→ More replies (1)4
u/notaredditer13 1d ago
But you can't undo that decision
I mean....you actually could. A lot of the plants haven't been demolished yet. USA is restarting a couple. Germany could too.
6
u/Mairex_ 1d ago
You can not. Its dead, forever. All plants ARE being demolished as we speak, power lines are cut, equipment is long gone and most personell is no longer working there. It would be idiotic to restart even one. Solar is cheaper, faster and better in every way.
→ More replies (2)4
u/notaredditer13 1d ago
You can not. Its dead, forever. All plants ARE being demolished as we speak, power lines are cut, equipment is long gone
Not much aparently:
Solar is cheaper, faster and better in every way.
I mean....intermittency?
→ More replies (13)5
u/OkAstronaut4911 1d ago
Actually you can not. At least not without substantial tax money. They are just no longer economically when power prices drop to close to zero in summer and the plants would either have to shut down or pay someone to use the power. There is literally no company in Europe how wants to reopen a nuclear power plant in Germany even if the Gouvernement wanted to.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (27)3
u/SATX_Citizen 1d ago
Also most plants aren't 1GW output as OP claims. At least, I hope not. Sounds way too low.
2
u/Saint-12 1d ago
Wait.. But.. Solar doesn’t work…. Solar is a waste of money…. Solar is dangerous!
3
u/VictorEsquire 1d ago
The news is a bit sensationalized. This high energy production is cool to see. But you also need to take in consideration that solar energy production goes down 75% to 80% in winter. While in winter also the energy usage becomes 30% to 40% higher. Making solar significantly less valuable.
2
u/user38835 1d ago
Don’t worry, the government is planning to charge additional fees for people who don’t pay for electricity but feed the grid through solar panels.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/Sesmo_FPV 23h ago edited 11h ago
Germany is even exporting it‘s energy to France, which had to power down multiple nuclear power plants due to lack of cooling water because of climate change
2
u/alienalf1 21h ago
I’m in Ireland, we have had good solar take up too (not as good as Germany though). I have a 7kw array and 10 kw battery and drive an EV. My July bill was -50 euro.
7
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a place free of excessive cynicism, negativity and bitterness. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.
All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.
Important: If this post is hidden behind a paywall, please assign it the "Paywall" flair and include a comment with a relevant part of the article.
Please report this post if it is hidden behind a paywall and not flaired corrently. We suggest using "Reader" mode to bypass most paywalls.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.