Solar energy

The sun is available as an unlimited, environmentally friendly and free energy source. Electricity and heat can be produced from sunlight. In addition, solar cooling is an innovative use of solar energy which is becoming increasingly important.

The proportion of solar energy contributing to the German power supply is still low but is continuously rising. Around 2.3 million photovoltaic and solar thermal systems are currently installed in Germany. In 2010, photovoltaic systems produced 12.0 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, and thereby covered 2.0 percent of total electricity consumption. Solar thermal systems produced 5.2 billion kilowatt hours, a share of 0.4 percent of the total German heat requirements. The "Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz" (EEG - Renewable Energy Sources Law) creates the basis for operating solar systems economically. It obligates the network operators to accept electricity from photovoltaic systems and to pay a fixed price for it. Use of solar heat is promoted by grants from the market incentives programme.