A German Context to Sort the Critics’ Presumptions on Solar Power

While the critics are always questioning the viability of harnessing Solar Power into mainstream energy production, their questions are being vanquished by the advances made in this field in leaps and bounds. A brief look at the German context in solar energy production and its viability. An increasing segment of the population is thinking of restructuring their energy supply systems so as to switch to renewable energy sources, more commonly Solar Power. However, when this turning point in production of energy would take place, is still not clear. Photovoltaics are constantly questioned in terms of the following factors: • High cost of installationrn• Lesser efficiency of systems These presumptions are regular voiced by the public as well as administrators. Facts The facts give an entirely opposite picture. Even though the Solar Power share in energy production has not yet touched the double-digit percentage of the global energy production, the huge growth in photovoltaic technology every year is important. In the last 3 years, the production of solar energy has seen 6-fold growth. In addition, the cost of production are dropping at such a fast rate that the price of solar energy conversion would come at par with traditional electrical power in a decade or so. The German Context Presumption No. 1 - Solar power is barely going to add to the energy supply in Germany The Truth - At noon time on any given day having sufficient sunlight, the Solar Power generated by photovoltaic (PV) plants is much more than the power generated by all the nuclear power plants that are currently operational in the country. If the PV plants are to meet the entire power needs of the country, it is estimated that not more than 1.1% of the land area in the country would be required for Solar Power generation. Presumption No. 2 - Excess of Solar Power would overload the grid The Truth – Photovoltaic plants relatively put a tiny load onto the grid and they can also offer some relief. According to a study conducted by the German Solar Industry Association it was found that the expansion of PV would not create any significant impact on the grid. When solar energy is being produced, it is being used at the grid. Presumption No. 3 - It is useless to build PV plants as other sources of renewable energy produce power cheaply. The Truth - Solar energy is indispensable, limitless and becoming increasingly cost-efficient, which is not true for most of the other source of renewable energy. There is no denying that Solar Power is presently costlier than hydropower and wind power. But PV plants have the following advantages: • The unique features of photovoltaics offer it virtually unlimited possibilities for generation of power. • PV plants can operate in any part of the world, unlike wind farms that can run only in areas with faster winds. • Solar energy systems don’t have any moving parts and can fit into any space. • The costs are dropping at a faster rate compared to the technology involved in harnessing other renewable energy resources because of rapid advances in research.