“Germany needs more than wind” – opinion

Wind power turbines are Germany’s most important renewable energy source and in 2017 produced more electricity than coal plants for the first time, Thorsten Preuschgas, CEO of Soventix, writes in a guest commentary in the pv magazine.  But it is “a false conclusion” that wind power is “the Energiewende’s panacea”, Preuschgas argues. Wind power production is very volatile and transmission grid operators often have to undertake costly interventions to throttle the feed-in, leading to the impression that renewable power sources are expensive per se, he says. An energy transition “under the aegis of wind power is bound to fail”, as power generated in the north cannot be transported south in quantities that would allow for shutting down nuclear plants there, Preuschgas writes. “Decentralised solar power could play a much more prominent role”, as they do not need large transmission lines. While wind power was “indispensable” for the Energiewende, its dominance “overshadows the advantages of other energy sources”.

Find the commentary in German here.

See the CLEW dossier Onshore wind power in Germany for background.