Renewable energy surges to tight grid in Germany

German Energy Agency officials said recently that while renewable energy in Germany is developing rapidly, most of them are far away from demand centers or transmission networks, which will result in wastage of assets and even stability of the power grid.

The Director of Energy, Stephan Kohler, said: “My requirement for new renewable energy regulations is to build extra capacity only near the existing network infrastructure.” In 2007, the Energy Agency research speculated that By 2020, new wind energy will add 4.5 million megawatts of energy to Germany. However, in order to speed up the transfer of nuclear energy, the German government has given large subsidies for wind energy and solar energy.

The Energy Agency has learned that the eastern and northern German provinces plan to add 50,000 megawatts of land wind energy and 8,000 to 10,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2020. Kohler said, “We will receive 60,000 megawatts of capacity in places where we do not consume energy. Unlike the southern regions where energy-intensive industries are concentrated, these areas are sparsely populated. We will also encounter economic problems because the storm is coming. We can't rely on wind turbine generators, and we can't transport these powers, because this is a waste of money and people are unwise."

Reuters said that similar to wind power, the expansion of solar energy also made it costly and there were engineering problems. The government expects that operators will increase by 2000-3000 MW on the basis of the existing 18,000 MW before the end of the year, but the Energy Agency is expected to increase by 3000-4000 MW.

Kohler said that the transformer must be adjusted so as to avoid closing the sun when the weather is too strong. The capacity must be drastically reduced to reduce the pressure on the system or to avoid excessive use of expensive alternative energy sources.

Kohler said that he is not arrogant. The Energy Agency is working hard to develop a feasibility plan to support the government's goals. He said: "If it is approved or people are actively involved, strategic changes are feasible. We must guide people."

The Energy Agency is trying to persuade the public to support the proposal to extend the 3,700-kilometer high-voltage power grid by 2025. If a more effective law can be passed during this period, it can increase by 850 kilometers by 2015. The public should also express their support through their own actions, such as purchasing new equipment, household insulation, and smart meters, to spend the transition period.

The Energy Agency also believes that by 2020, due to the termination of nuclear energy and renewable energy subsidies, plus the expansion of the power grid, the rate of increase in household electricity prices should be controlled within 20%.