Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

Thank you for your interest in German renewable energy technologies and welcome to the third edition of the "renewables -  Made in Germany" newsletter in 2010. This service is brought to you by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency, supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Today's issue features articles on the following topics:

• Current developments in the field of renewable energy around the world
• Interesting projects and applications in renewable energy
• State-of-the-art German technologies and services for the use of renewable energy sources
• Opportunities and events in the field of renewable energy

We hope you enjoy reading this issue.

The Renewable Energies Division of dena.

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• 1. Renewable energy gaining ground in Germany
• 2. Petersberg climate dialogue moves international climate protection forward
• 3. Asian Development Bank finances solar initiative
• 4. German Bundestag introduces changes in solar power tariffs
• 5. Exhibition “Casa Alemana” is starting its tour in Latin America
• 6. University develops roll-up solar cells
• 7. German offshore wind farm started operations
• 8. Inauguration of the dena Solar Roofs Programme for Foreign Market Development at the reference site for renewable energies at the Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy
• 9. “renewables - Made in Germany” - Products and Services
• 10. Get in Touch - "renewables- Made in Germany" Business Trips
• 11. The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Takes "Renewable Energy Technologies" Abroad
• 12. dena´s Subsidy Overview: EU-27 Photovoltaic
• 13. Service and editorial information

Last year, for the first time, renewable energies accounted for more than ten percent of the fuels, power and heating consumed in Germany. In 2008 they had a share of only 9.3 percent. This was announced by the Working Group on Renewable Energies - Statistics (AGEE -Stat). According to the Working Group, investments in ecological energy systems grew by around 20 percent to 17.7 billion euros. Altogether the industry had a turnover in 2009 of more than 33.4 billion euros (2008: 30.7 billion euros). Today the renewable energy sector provides more than 300,000 jobs – around eight percent more than in 2008.

Biomass, solar, hydro and wind power generation increased their share of the power consumed in Germany from 15.2 to 16.1 percent. Added together, the power produced by these sources equals more than two-thirds of the power produced by the German nuclear power stations. The importance of renewable energy on the heat market is also growing. In part this is due to the significantly lower heat consumption by industry resulting from the economic downturn. The share of heat from renewable energy grew from 7.4 to 8.4 percent compared to the previous year. The only down side is found in the fuel market where the share of biofuels declined from 5.9 to 5.5 percent.

Still, renewable energies play a significant role in helping Germany achieve its CO₂ reduction targets. In 2009, Germany would have emitted an additional 109 million tonnes of greenhouse gases if renewable energy sources had not been used. In addition to the ecological aspect, Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen pointed to the economic importance of renewable energies for the domestic economy: “The International Energy Agency estimates that in the next 20 years the global investment in renewable energies will total almost 5,000 billion dollars. A look at the year 2009 shows that thanks to an advantageous regulatory framework, German companies are in a good position to maintain their leading role in these global markets.”

Newest research indicates that current global climate protection measures are not enough. Through the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Germany and Mexico have given a new impetus to international climate negotiations. On invitation from these two states, the ministers responsible for climate protection from 43 countries met on the Petersberg hill in Bonn in order to discuss the next steps in international climate policies.

A number of states presented climate protection initiatives at the conference with which they wanted to promote co-operation between the developing and the industrial nations. Germany, working together with South Africa and South Korea, has started a project that supports developing countries in creating ecological growth strategies and making the realisation of these strategies measurable and reproducible. Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen announced that the federal government would be investing a minimum of 350 million euros to prevent deforestation in developing countries. In addition, the German federal government will be paying ten million euros into the adaptation fund of the Kyoto protocol. Before the conference started, Environment Minister Röttgen had stressed that he wanted to push the EU to increase their goals for reducing green house gases from 20 to 30 percent by 2020. Germany has already decided to reduce its emission by 40 percent.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be investing over two billion US-dollars in an Asian solar initiative. The Asia Solar Energy Initiative (ASEI) is planning the development of solar power plants with a capacity of 3,000 megawatts by 2012. In order to finance construction, the initiative is trying to win over banks and corporations as investors. Furthermore, ASEI is aiming to collect 500 million US-dollars from donor countries. It wants to use the money to lower the high level of initial investment and thereby make investments in solar power plants more attractive. ASEI has also initiated the founding of a Solar Energy Forum, an international knowledge platform that will help to develop solar projects, introduce incentive programmes and organise international conferences. The first Solar Energy Forum conference is scheduled to take place  5 July, 2010 and  6 July, 2010 in Manila.

At the beginning of May, the German parliament lowered the feed-in tariffs for solar power. With this move the parliamentarians were reacting to the drop in prices for photovoltaic units. In the past year the market prices dropped by around 30 percent. “We are making necessary corrections to reduce the compensation to a reasonable level and limit the costs for the consumer while still continuing to increase solar power’s share of the market,” said Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen. The resolution reduces the compensation rates by an additional 16 percent for roof units and by eleven percent for solar parks over and above the degression as laid down in the Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (Renewable Energy Sources Act). At the same time, the amendment strengthens the position of power production for personal use: households that consume the solar power they produce will gain up to eight eurocents per kilowatt hour.

The model house “Casa Alemana” combines comfortable living with energy efficiency. In the coming twelve months it will be presented in a total of 13 Latin American countries. The exhibition started in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in April. After that it went to Uruguay’s capital Montevideo. Currently it is in the Argentine metropolis Buenos Aires. The building demonstrates the newest German building and solar technologies in an architecturally innovative concept. It is based on a design by the Technical University Darmstadt, which, in 2007 and 2009, won “Solar Decathlon”, the American competition for sustainable architecture.
Further information: www.lacasaalemana.com

Solar cells provide independence from power grids: attached to backpacks or canoes, they can secure the use of power navigation and communications equipment when travelling. A German research group at the University of Duisburg-Essen is currently  investigating the development of these kinds of new photovoltaic concepts. The scientists are putting a focus on the use of organic and metal oxide semiconductors that potentially have a higher efficiency than purely organic systems and which can be integrated into formable mobile applications. The German State of Northrhine-Westphalia and the university are sponsoring the project over the next five years with a total of 1.42 million euros.

At the end of April, Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen inaugurated ‘Alpha Ventus’, the first German wind farm on the open sea. It was built 45 kilometres off the coast of the island Borkum by a consortium that invested 250 million euros and consists of the power suppliers EWE, Eon, and Vattenfall Europe. The wind farm will not only produce power but will also serve as a testing ground for nature conservation research projects. The wind farm will deliver valuable insights into the use and further development of offshore energy. The German government expects offshore wind farms to be feeding around 25 gigawatts of power into the German energy mix by the year 2030.

In the presence of important guests from politics and industry, the dena Solar Roofs Programme for Foreign Market Development at Milan’s largest hospital, the Ospedale San Carlo Borromeo, was ceremoniously inaugurated on 19 April, 2010. The system (solar heat and photovoltaic in one system), which was installed by the company Solarhybrid AG, has a gross area of 37 square meters and a capacity of 2.1 kWp (PV). The power is being fed into the public power grid. Two existing 1,800 l hot water tanks get pre-heated water from two 750 l buffer vessels that are fed through the collector field and which support the hospital’s warm water system. Marketing and comprehensive training measures accompany this innovative system and help in its market entry.

German renewable energy technologies have an excellent reputation both at home and abroad. Many years of experience and countless references around the world make "renewables - Made in Germany" a reliable source to meet your project needs. The website www.renewables-made-in-germany.com provides information about German renewable energy industries, companies and products.

Are you looking for contacts with experienced German companies in the renewable energy sector, or more information about renewable energy technology from Germany? If so, the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) in your country may be able to help. As part of the “renewables - Made in Germany” programme, delegations of German business representatives from the renewable energy sector travel to all parts of the world to showcase their expertise and products and to explore possibilities for future cooperation.

Each event includes a one-day seminar where you receive information about current developments in renewable energy technology and the products of the German companies that are represented. If you would like to get in touch with individual companies, the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad in your country has the ability to act as a liaison.

The following table shows all the dates and countries that are part of the trade mission for the next months.

If you are interested in attending one of these events or require more information, please contact the relevant German Chamber of Commerce Abroad: www.ahk.de.

For more information please contact: renewables@dena.de

More information: http://www.renewables-made-in-germany.com/index.php?id=664&L=1

Another opportunity to make contact with German companies in the renewable energy technology sector is to participate at  the trade fairs attended by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Visit the German community booth to speak directly with German companies and receive information about the latest technologies!

More information: http://www.renewables-made-in-germany.com/index.php?id=tradefairparticipations

The dena Subsidy Overview EU-27 – Photovoltaic provides information on existing subsidy programmes for the use of photovoltaics in the EU Member States. It is presented in a concise table with valuable details on the regulatory framework and how the subsidy programme could be used.

In Germany, the feed-in tariff rates will be lowered on 1st July. Furthermore, several amendments were made to the existing tariff regime. The latest issue of dena’s Overview of PV Incentives (“PV Radar”) reports on all the forthcoming changes to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

After prolonged negotiations, the Lithuanian government decided to introduce a feed-in tariff for PV installations. The new tariff scheme came into effect in early 2010.

In addition to that, the issue provides information for new developments in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia,  Spain and the United Kingdom.

More Information: www.dena.de/en/infos/publications/publikation/eu-27-photovoltaic

Thank you for subscribing to the “renewables - Made in Germany” newsletter.

For more information about German technologies and manufacturers in the renewable energy industry, see our website http://www.renewables-made-in-germany.com/.

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