Solar Power in Germany
Via the Local: Germany produces half of energy with solar
Analysis from the Fraunhofer ISE research institute showed solar panels in Germany generated a record 24.24 GW of electricity between 1pm and 2pm on Friday, June 6th.
And on Monday June 9th, which was a national holiday, solar power production peaked at 23.1 GW, which equalled 50.6 percent of total electricity demand – setting another milestone.
The week was unusually hot with highs of 37C and Rothacher put the record down to the warm weather and the fact it was a public holiday.
But he added: “I think we could break a new record every two to three months now. We are installing more and more PVs [solar panels].”
The success of Germany’s solar production lies with encouraging people to install them on their roof tops rather than building huge solar farms. Rothacher said 90 percent of solar panels in Germany were on individuals’ roofs.
These are quite stunning numbers given that skeptics in the US frequently state that solar is not a viable option for US energy needs. It is further noteworthy given that Germany is not a sunny as the US in the aggregate. Indeed, when I was vacationing earlier this month in Nevada and Utah, I had the passing thought that surely solar power could be better utilized in those areas.