German Energy Transition

RES Qualification Semester

Scientific Writing Group 5
Robert ÓBraonáin

Submitted By
Md. Asif Rahman
Matriculation Number: 44816

Submitted On
8 February 2023
German Energy Transition 44816

Germany's long-term endeavors of achieving sustainable,

trustworthy, and climate-neutral energy usage is known as German Energy
Transition (in german, German Energiewende). Germany intends to lessen
Germany's reliance on imported fossil fuels, improve energy security, and
cut greenhouse gas emissions. The concept of the German Energy
Transition, or "Energiewende," was first proposed by Germany's Institute for
Applied Ecology in 1980 in a book named "Energy Transition: Growth and
Prosperity Without Oil and Uranium." (David 223-233) "The goal for the
German energy transition was first announced in 2010 by the German
government under Chancellor Angela Merkel." (Schwägerl). Though the
history of the German Energy Transition can be traced back to 1970 when
oil prices had risen worldwide, and Germany's economy suffered
significantly. After that, during the 1980s, young people raised concerns
about using nuclear as a weapon and energy source. This event made the
German government emphasize developing renewable energy sources
such as wind, solar, and hydropower. To encourage the use of renewable
energy sources and the expansion of the electrical grid to enable their
integration, the government implemented several policies between 1990
and 2010. The German government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, used
the term "German energy transition" in 2010 to establish specific goals for
meeting certain targets. The German Energy Transition has a number of
important goals, including raising the proportion of renewable energy
sources in the nation's electricity mix, enhancing energy efficiency, lowering
energy consumption, phasing out nuclear power, and lowering carbon
emissions. New energy laws, regulations, and financial incentives to
encourage the expansion of renewable energy sources, energy storage
technologies, and a smart grid are also being developed as part of the
initiative. For example, some specific goals are to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 and to be carbon
neutral by 2045. Additionally, Germany wants to use more renewable
energy sources in its electricity mix to 65% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
Another goal of the energy transition is to shut down all nuclear power plants
by the end of 2022.

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The first significant policy step towards the German Energy

Transition, or "Energiewende," was taken in the 1980s, when the German
government passed several laws to promote renewable energy and energy
efficiency. These laws paved the way for developing renewable energy in
Germany and made shifting to a more environmentally friendly energy
system possible. The first of these laws, the Electricity Feed-in Act of 1990,
established feed-in tariffs as a vital tool for cultivating the growth of
renewable energy sources. (Iea) The act supported the development of new
technologies, encouraged the production of renewable energy, and
supported the installation of renewable energy systems. This law also
allows renewable energy producers a fixed price for the electricity they
produce and allows them to sell back any excess energy to the grid. Later
in April 2000 Renewable Energy Act came into force to provide more
support and protect investment in renewable sources. This law has several
amendments and is a central backbone in the German energy transition till
today. Germany's first large-scale wind farms were built in the mid-1990s,
and the country's solar industry began to take off in the early 2000s.
Germany passed the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) in 2000,
requiring that by 2010, 12.5% of the nation's electricity must come from
renewable sources. Following that, various laws, including The Energy
Conservation Act (EnEV), The Climate Protection Act (KSG), and The Coal
Exit Act, went into effect to support the rapid growth of renewable energy
sources. Additionally, the European Commission set a 2020 sustainable
energy goal for its member states in 2007. Later, in 2014, the goal was
updated with new targets for 2030. ( Hinrichs)

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a significant aspect of the

German energy transition. Germany has significantly reduced greenhouse
gas emissions over the last decade. According to a publication of the
German Federal Office for Environment, Greenhouse gas emissions in
Germany have fallen since 1990: from 1,242 million tonnes of CO2
equivalents in 1990 to 762 million tonnes in 2021 – a significant increase
following the emissions of the year 2020, which were characterized by
extraordinary factors. Overall, this corresponds to a reduction of less than

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39 %. (Wilke) Germany has also made significant strides toward

transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. In 2020, more
than 45% of the electricity was generated using renewable energy, up from
only 6% in 2000. The gradual phase-out of coal and other fossil fuels has
been made possible by laws and policies. Despite these accomplishments,
Germany still has a long way to go before meeting its aggressive emission
reduction goals. By 2030, the nation wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions
from 1990 by at least 55%. Continued renewable energy and energy
efficiency advancements and more aggressive policies to reduce emissions
in industries like transportation are necessary to meet this objective. The
transportation sector of Germany, which generates about one-fifth of the
nation's greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the country's most complex
challenges to decarbonizing it. The effect of greenhouse gas emission
reduction is immediate, whereas renewable energy production provides a
sustainable long-term solution to reducing carbon emissions. Therefore
former German Federal Minister for the Environment, Svenja Schulze,
stated at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26),
"Glasgow significantly picks up the pace on climate action – and urgency is
key. The international community can and must make decisive progress in
the 2020s." (26th United Nations Climate Change Conference) Additional
action will be needed to reduce emissions, despite the government's efforts
to support electric vehicles and improve public transportation.

Energy efficiency and the phase-out of nuclear power have been

essential parts of Germany's energy transition. Germany must strongly
emphasize renewable energy sources to replace the portion of its energy
output that came from nuclear and coal. Energy efficiency aims to cut
energy use while maintaining the same level of energy services. This can
help cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve the system's effectiveness.
Improving building energy efficiency has been one of the most crucial focus
areas. Germany has implemented several policies and programs to
encourage building retrofits, which entail improving the insulation, windows,
and other components of existing buildings to reduce energy consumption.
The KfW Environmental and Energy Efficiency Program provide subsidies

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for building owners according to class. Houses are classified as efficiency

levels (KfW Energy Efficiency House 55, 70, 85, 100, and 115). The 'KfW
Energy Efficiency House 55' is the most deserving building class. This
includes policies requiring new construction to at least make 50% of its
heating energy demand from renewable sources and schemes that offer
financial incentives to homeowners and landlords to make energy-efficient
renovations. Germany has also implemented strict energy efficiency
standards for appliances and equipment, such as refrigerators, washing
machines, and air conditioners.

Meanwhile, the phase-out of nuclear is another issue in completing

the energy transition. Nuclear power was first introduced in Germany in the
1950s with the construction of the Kahl nuclear power plant. (Nuclear Power
in Germany) Over the next several decades, Germany developed a robust
nuclear power industry, but protests against the construction of the Wyhl
nuclear plant began in 1975, and in October of that year, the state
government of Baden-Württemberg announced that it would cancel the
project. Later, the nuclear disaster in Chornobyl energized the anti-nuclear
movement and helped raise awareness about nuclear power's potential
risks. In 2011, Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant faced a major
nuclear disaster following a massive earthquake that shook the world. The
concrete decision to phase out of nuclear power plant first came following
that event. Germany scheduled its nuclear power plant to be shut down by
the end of 2022. However, it has been temporarily halted until 2030 because
of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Germany must
therefore improve energy efficiency if it hopes to achieve carbon neutrality
by 2045. Compared to 2008 levels, they aim to increase energy efficiency
by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050. According to AG Energiebilanzen
(AGEB), in 2022, coal, oil, and natural gas made up 78.8% of Germany's
total energy consumption, followed by nuclear power (3.2%), renewable
energy sources (14.4%), and other sources (like waste and biomass) at
3.6%.(Appunn et al.)

Germany has made significant progress toward its energy transition

goal in all areas like solar, wind, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas

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release. Germany has made significant progress in both the wind and solar
industries in recent years, becoming a global leader in renewable energy.
According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy,
Germany installed over 60 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy capacity as of
2021, making it one of the world's top wind energy producers. (Kieffer et al.)
Similarly, Germany is currently ranked fourth globally in installed solar
power capacity after installing more than 52 GW. The nation has established
many policies that encourage the installation of renewable energy, which
have greatly influenced the decision of people and companies to invest in
renewable energy. (Moser) Solar energy accounts for about 24.4%, wind
energy for about 48.4%, and the remaining sources (biomass, geothermal,
and hydro) for the remaining 27.1% of the country's total renewable energy
capacity. The wind is the largest share among all renewable energy
sources. In 2021, renewable energy sources accounted for 44.6 % of gross
electricity generation in Germany. (Wehrmann). Germany's significant
progress in renewable energy has enabled the country to reduce its
dependence on energy imports. This shift towards renewable energy has
also helped to improve Germany's energy security, as the country is less
vulnerable to disruptions in global energy markets. Moreover, Germany's
renewable energy sector has created new jobs and contributed to the
growth of local economies. Chancellor Scholz told lawmakers in a special
Bundestag session called to address the Ukraine-Russia crisis, "We must
change course to overcome our dependence on imports from individual
energy suppliers." (Alkousaa et al.)

In conclusion, Germany has made an ambitious and creative effort

to transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. The nation's efforts to
decrease its reliance on fossil fuels and increase the proportion of
renewable energy sources in its energy mix have yielded notable results.
The key aspects on which Germany's energy transition is built are robust
government policies and a welcoming regulatory environment, both of which
have encouraged investment in renewable energy and helped to speed up
the sector's growth. Germany's energy transition has demonstrated that it is
possible to make the switch to a cleaner and more sustainable energy

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system, even though there have been some obstacles along the way, such
as the requirement for grid expansion and guaranteeing the security of the
energy supply. As other nations work to cut their greenhouse gas emissions
and combat climate change, they should look to Germany as a model.

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Works Cited

Jacobs, David. "The German Energiewende – History, Targets, Policies,

and Challenges." Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, vol. 3,
no. 4, 2012, pp. 223–33. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24324660. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.

Iea. "Electricity Feed-in Law of 1991 ('Stromeinspeisungsgesetz') –

Policies." IEA, International Energy Agency,
https://www.iea.org/policies/3477-electricity-feed-in-law-of-1991-
stromeinspeisungsgesetz.

Schwägerl, Christian. "How Angela Merkel Became Germany's Unlikely

Green Energy Champion." The Guardian, Yale Environment 360, 9
May 2011,
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/may/09/angela-
merkel-green-energy.

Hinrichs-Rahlwes, Rainer. Sustainable Energy Policies for Europe. CRC

Press, 2013, https://doi.org10.1201/b15934. Sustainable Energy
Developments.

Wilke, Sibylle. "Indicator: Greenhouse Gas Emissions."

Umweltbundesamt, Umweltbundesamt, 27 Feb. 2017,
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/data/environmental-
indicators/indicator-greenhouse-gas-emissions#at-a-glance.

"26th United Nations Climate Change Conference: End of the Fossil Fuel
Era - BMUV-Press Release." Bmuv.de, Federal Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer
Protection, 13 Nov. 2021,
https://www.bmuv.de/en/pressrelease/26th-united-nations-climate-
change-conference-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era.

"Nuclear Power in Germany." Nuclear Power in Germany, World Nuclear

Association, https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-
profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx.

Appunn, Kerstine, et al. "Germany's Energy Consumption and Power Mix

in Charts." Clean Energy Wire, Clean Energy Wire CLEW, 20 Dec.
2022, https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-
consumption-and-power-mix-charts.

Wirth, Dr. Harry. "Recent Facts about Photovoltaics in Germany -

Fraunhofer Ise." Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE,
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, 22 Dec. 2021,
https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/publications/studies/recent-facts-
about-pv-in-germany.html#faq_faqitem_1599750308-answer.

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Kieffer, Matthew, et al. G7 Research Group , 2022, 2021 G7 Cornwall

Summit Final Compliance Report, www.g7.utoronto.ca . Accessed 21
Feb. 2023.

Moser, Raphael, et al. “Solar Prosumers in the German Energy Transition:

A Multi-Level Perspective Analysis of the German ‘Mieterstrom’
Model.” Energies, vol. 14, no. 4, Feb. 2021, p. 1188. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.3390/en14041188.

Wehrmann, Benjamin. "Solar Power in Germany – Output, Business

& Perspectives." Clean Energy Wire, Clean Energy Wire, 13
Apr. 2022, https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/solar-power-
germany-output-business-perspectives.

Alkousaa, Riham, et al. "Nuclear, Coal, LNG: 'No Taboos' in Germany's

Energy about-Face." Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 27 Feb. 2022,
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germany-step-up-plans-
cut-dependence-russia-gas-2022-02-27/.

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Declaration of Authenticity

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this assignment is my original

work, gathered and utilised especially to fulfil the purpose and objectives
of this study, and has not been previously submitted to any other course or
university. I also declare that the publications and archival material cited in
this work have been personally consulted.

(_________________)
Md. Asif Rahman

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