Asked Sun Cold Heat

Asked Sun Cold Heat


Would the federal government to promote solar thermal energy only partially as well as the PV, she would have long since established itself as the mainstay of energy production. But a half-hearted policy of the market has shot up.

Solar panels already seemed firmly on German roofs have to be booked. As the oil price in 2008 to over $ 140 a barrel (159 liters), climbed to the newly installed solar thermal capacity doubled to 1,400 megawatts. Germany had developed into the largest European market for solar collectors - 2008 went to Europe every other plant sold to a German customer. The German solar manufacturer in 2008 doubled its sales to two billion euros. Within months, the number of employees rose by 10,000 to 25,000.

The outlook seemed bright: The government decided in June 2008, the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG). It requires all new buildings incorporate into regenerative heat generator. In parallel, Berlin increased in 2009, the relevant funds on a new record price: should the market incentive program (MAP), the regenerative heat promote various grants, the federal government halted by 150 to 500 million euros, the CO2 emissions from buildings by as much as 800 million to 2, 2 billion.

Nevertheless, the conversion decreases continuously with renewable heat since autumn 2008. While booming new oil and gas boilers in Germany, was loudly Heating Association BDH dropped the demand for heat pumps from 2008 to 2010 by 20 percent, sales of wood boilers and solar thermal systems in the same period as much as half. Not a turnaround is in sight: In the first half of 2011 fell to assemble the solar panels compared to the same period by another two percent.

How could this happen? At first glance, there is only one plausible explanation for the price of oil fell from June to October 2008 during the economic crisis in the shortest time below 40 dollars per barrel. It abolished the incentive to invest in environmentally friendly heat.

But the thing is not so simple. Guilt is also a missed promotion policy. "In truth, the federal government has no interest in solar thermal energy, because everything is in Berlin only to the Renewable Energy Act," Werner Koldehoff, board member says the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW). This manifests itself in the solar thermal industry fatal decisions: instead of helping her with additional sales incentives from the crisis, the incentives are even lower. Only 1.7 billion euros in 2010, the Federal Government through the MAP and the CO2 emissions from buildings are available, this year there are only 1.2 billion euros. That's not half as much as in 2009 and six times less than the seven billion euros in 2011 - will be invested in photovoltaics - by levy on the electricity bill. It could be in the heat sector save the most CO2: Half of the total final energy demand (the part of the primary energy that arrives after deduction of transport and transformation losses to the consumer) is in this country used to generate heat, but only a quarter of electricity.

Even the EEWärmeG is no real support for solar energy, because it contains too many loopholes. Thus, for example, local authorities are not deficient plants for renewable energy into their new buildings and existing building stock is excluded from the incorporation requirement anyway. "This area has a share of 90 percent of newly installed heating systems. Here is a vast field of action left out," said Richard Hunter, head of the Brunswick Solvis solar provider.

Instead, the federal government uses for old buildings are voluntary and financial incentives. To encourage investments a homeowner to move, but must continually flow sufficient funding. That is difficult for the programs. In April 2010, the MAP was stopped because the government is remaining for the rest of the year € 115 million blocked funds from financial constraints. When they were released again in June, the two-month break had already caused great damage. "The ups and downs has alienated many potential investors", says market expert Koldehoff.

The demand slowdown affecting the company hard. Believing in sustainable growth in 2008, many manufacturers invested in new plants. No sooner were the lines ready, orders fell. About the export can not compensate for the losses, as well as in the three other major European solar thermal markets Italy, Spain and France has been falling for some time now the demand, because not getting the funding for construction crisis and low energy prices. According to cost the BSW-Solar 5000 jobs crisis in Germany so far.

Even highly innovative companies such as the Baden system provider paradigm found no remedy for the doldrums. His "aqua system", circulates through the collector circuit instead of a toxic and rapidly aging heat transfer fluid, easy-care water admitted from 2008 Innovation Awards, and counted with 66 megawatts of power sold to the market hits in Germany. "Based on this success, we have doubled our production and set new staff," says CEO Klaus Taafel. Paradigm because by now but only sold half as much power as 2008, had 40 employees are laid off again.

The sales decline is even less capital for new designs. BSW estimates that the industry now spends only half as much money on research and development as in 2008. Thus - and by lack of economies of scale - also slow down the cost reductions. Solar heat is still 12 to 14 cents per kilowatt hour more expensive than conventional heating with about eleven cents.

Theoretically, were, says physicist Gerhard Stryi-Hipp at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, the production costs of solar heat reduction but less than five cents, because the development potential of the technique is still enormous: phase change materials from salt or paraffin, the melting solidify or absorb energy and deliver, for example, could save between heat for the night; collectors made of plastic instead of metal and glass could cut production costs further, also could be integrated collectors in district heating networks and are used more efficiently. "2030 might cover more than 50 percent of solar heat demand in Europe," is convinced Stryi-Hipp.

Still missing, however, the incentive to realize these visions. Experts see because of the debt crisis for the time being no indication of a significant rise in oil prices. And effective support to the policy can not hope the industry. Again and again it has submitted proposals for Berlin a more efficient production. Which would increase the collector floor building, the use requirement under EEWärmeG would also be extended to existing buildings. Other incentives would also bring a CO2 tax.

In Berlin, the industry will meet with their proposals, however, apparently fell on deaf ears. As part of the energy package adopted in July should building owners who renovate their homes energy, actually a year can deduct up to ten percent of the sum of the tax. But the states that blocked because of the anticipated tax revenue. Also the MAP is the first January 2012 "touched". Then, the base remuneration falls again for collectors: from 120 to 90 € per square meter. With system cost of 1500 € per square meter, the current subsidy is already just a drop in the bucket.