Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2025 at 8:10 AM EDTBookmarkSaveTakeaways NEWGreen electricity will totally dominate Germany’s grid on Thursday sending power prices below zero again in a reminder of how solar and wind is transforming Europe’s biggest market A slump in demand due to a public holiday will coincide with a surge in solar generation and the region’s first mini-heat wave as much as 99% of consumption could be met by green energy it’s highly unusual and a glimpse into the future as the region forges ahead with the green transition please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot Get the most important global markets news at your fingertips with a Bloomberg.com subscription. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker indispensable guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington follow the latest on tariffs and executive orders Stay on top of the latest events in US politics with the FT’s trusted and impartial coverage Insight and analysis on US politics from commentators such as Ed Luce and James Politi This subscription does not include access to ft.com or the FT App Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times The solar farm will be able to supply around 50,000 households with environmentally friendly energy through its annual yield of 180 million kilowatt hours of electricity saving about 129,000 tonnes of CO2 each year The entire project is due to be commissioned before the end of 2020 “Major photovoltaic projects like this one are just what is needed to push forward renewable energies and the Energiewende in Germany” said Dirk Güsewell Head of Generation Portfolio Development at EnBW “This solar park is our first renewable project without state funding It also marks a milestone for photovoltaics in Germany and demonstrates that this technology has achieved market maturity.” This is possible because of synergy effects due to the size of the park and the fact that costs in the photovoltaic sector have fallen by more than 80 percent in the last ten years” added that Brandenburg is taking a leading role in the Energiewende because hardly any other German state has pushed forward with the expansion of renewable energies so strongly and that EnBW is contributing to the achievement of its climate policy targets with projects such as the Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park demonstrating that renewable energies can be competitive More than 40 companies have been commissioned by EnBW to work on the construction of the solar farm The electricity will be fed into three 110 kilovolt overhead cables operated by E.DIS Netz GmbH Two new transformer stations will be built to the west and southwest of the park in close vicinity to the high-voltage lines EnBW is currently laying seven kilometres of cables to the planned transformer station to the southwest of the solar farm in the district of Blumberg The almost 4-kilometre long connection to the planned transformer station to the west of the park near Börnicke will be completed later The around 465,000 solar modules will face south have a construction height of around three metres and will be installed at an inclination of 20 degrees to the supporting structure They will be distributed across four solar fields divided by the local road network which will still be publicly accessible The solar power plant has a planned service life of 40 years This is why EnBW has selected very high-quality durable components and will ensure that comprehensive quality assurance measures are implemented throughout the entire service life of the park Ecological supervision commissioned especially for this project will ensure that all construction work is completed in harmony with the local flora and fauna and especially that the Weesower Luch nature reserve located to the south of the solar farm remains protected the project also includes numerous compensatory and replacement measures for the protection of species and nature the entire area on and around the solar farm will be turned into a grassland habitat for a rich variety of species the measures will include planting shrubs and trees and also developing hedges and stepping stone biotopes which will complement the natural habitat found in the neighbouring nature reserve EnBW plans to place the solar farm into operation in construction stages EnBW Sustainability - The Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park near Berlin cost 100 million euros It covers an area of about 250 soccer fields The 465,000 solar panels provide power for 50,000 households regional public transport can be ridden for 9 euros a month Innovation Origins is taking this opportunity to visit a number of future projects we travel to Germany’s largest solar park in the state of Brandenburg There are plenty of regional trains from Berlin to the countryside of Brandenburg One of the shortest lines is the RB25 service to Werneuchen The minibus starts off in Berlin Ostkreuz and then winds it way via the districts of Lichtenberg and Marzahn right through East Berlin until near Ahrendsfelde station where the houses give way to fields and forests the train continues its journey along a single track and after approximately three quarters of an hour we reach our destination and everyone gets off Most of the passengers are commuters who have left the city because too stressful or simply because they enjoy peace and quiet Werneuchen also enjoys some renown for a small airport where pilots can obtain their pilot’s license, but one thing makes Werneuchen truly unique. Just a few kilometers away by bike is Germany’s largest solar park: the EnBW Solarpark Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park The road from the station that leads to it is about as long as the road through the park To the left and right of the bike path are literally thousands of solar panels the largest park in the Netherlands (in Groningen) counts 300,000 solar panels with a capacity of 120 MW The site is absolutely gigantic: 164 acres (almost 250 soccer fields) plus another 45 acres where EnBW is intent on giving the whole area a natural look a flock of sheep make sure that the grass is kept nice and short as the park is crisscrossed by bike and hiking paths Visitors can also climb a small artificial knoll to get a good view over everything EnBW spokesperson Ramona Sallein expects that a lot of people will take advantage of this One of the park’s main unique factors is that no subsidies are pouring in These would normally be the so-called EEG subsidies which stands for the Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz This is a German law that guarantees a fixed price for the green electricity that is generated these EEG subsidies only apply to parks up to 20 MW energy providers have to bear the costs themselves Economies of scale are instrumental in this regard an interim solution is chosen by splitting a project into at least two parts a 20 MW part and the rest without subsidies EnbW did enter into a long-term contract with Covestro at an early stage for the purchase of one-third of the electricity generated by the solar park EnBW has invested a hunderd million euros in the project Co-financiers are often sought beforehand for these large sums This was not done for this park due to the experimental nature of the project the park had been connected to the electricity grid for exactly one year and The first quarter of 2022 had even been slightly above expectations thanks to the help of the very sunny month of March The park was not only challenging from a technical point of view It was also crucial to get the local residents on board as much as possible EnBW plans to organize visitor days and nature also has an important role to play Inside the fences as mentioned earlier are the sheep Sallein says that some openings have been made in the ten kilometer security fence around the park “Because there are increasing numbers of those in Brandenburg is especially important because of the marshlands in the middle solar parks and nature reserves go very well together but these have nothing to do with the solar park “We would like to build projects in the future that combine solar and wind energy That undoubtedly brings additional cost advantages But to put it into practice is problematic because of the different licensing procedures the average time to build a wind park takes 7 years while for solar panels it is two to three years That tends to make combi-projects almost impossible.” The Weesow-Willmersdorf park is capable of generating enough power for 50,000 households would be many times more if the other parks in the area were also taken into account EnBW commissioned two more megaprojects of this kind in eastern Brandenburg this year One of the parks is near the village with the wonderful name Gottesgabe (God’s gift) All of Brandenburg had a total installed capacity of 4,000 MW at the end of last year EnBW’s overall figure for all of Germany is around 800 MW Bavaria also has a relatively large amount of solar power But that still needs to be increased by a great deal more wants to accelerate the energy transition and solar parks are a relatively easy way to do that The goal is for half of all electricity to come from renewable sources by the year 2025 EnBW is now sitting just above the fourty percent mark A sum of four billion euros is available for this purpose over the 2021-2025 period is that it has a relatively large number of sandy soils that are not so fertile “That’s why cooperation with farmers is important They know better than anyone else which arable land is less fertile and can consequently be better utilized for solar parks.” But arable land alone will not get Germany where it needs to be In order to achieve the government’s targets and a stronger and more efficient electricity grid We have to become faster and more digital,” EnBW board member Georg Stamatelopoulos summed up at the opening of the Weesow-Willmersdorf park last year “Procedures must become faster and legal certainty for investors must be greater.” The government in Berlin has set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of green electricity to eighty percent by 2030 at least 10,000 MW of solar panels must be added each year Whether that’s on the ground or on rooftops does not matter Germany is now running at a pace of about an additional 5,000 MW per year So there is still a lot of work to be done Sallein: ” This is why we are working on more projects like Weesow-Willmersdorf.” EnBW (Energie Baden-Württemberg) is one of Germany’s largest energy providers with its headquarters in Karlsruhe The company has been in a state of transition since 2012 This has a lot to do with the phasing out of nuclear power in Germany The goal was to increase the proportion of renewable energy in their portfolio from 12 percent to 40 percent by 2020 Offshore wind parks are still just a bit more important for EnBW in terms of green energy than solar power and onshore wind turbines Turnover for sustainable energy is rising at a phenomenal pace sales of 821 million euros were almost 120 percent above the level of one year earlier Net profit rose by 41 percent to 292 million euros All this on a total turnover for the first quarter of 13.7 billion euros and a net profit of 1.2 billion euros Get the most important global markets news at your fingertips with a Bloomberg.com subscription You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience the 187 MW solar park under construction by German utility EnBW near Berlin has already begun delivering power to the grid While the last solar modules are still being installed the photovoltaic power plant is already feeding the first electricity into the grid From pv magazine Germany Germany's largest solar park to date — a 187 MW solar power plant being built by power utility EnBW without any public subsidy — has fed its first solar power into the grid photovoltaics makes a noticeable and cost-effective contribution to the energy transition,” said Thorsten Jörß head of Photovoltaics Project Development at EnBW The photovoltaic power plant has a total output of 187 MW and is being built in Werneuchen A total of 465,000 solar modules will be installed for the solar park “While the first modules and inverters are already being put into operation at one end of the park construction is still going on at the other end,” said EnBW about the current construction status “We have achieved a lot and always found solutions to the challenges of the corona pandemic but our time buffer has almost been used up,” explained construction manager Stefan Lederer from EnBW The company is now working to finalize the entire solar park by the end of the year can mean that it will be the beginning of the new year before we can put the last solar modules into operation,” Lederer added The €100 million subsidy-free project will be built under an in-house power purchase contract but EnBW has yet to reveal the details of the arrangement More articles from Sandra Enkhardt Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Sungrow supplies its central inverters to EnBW’s 187 MW solar park in Werneuchen the solar park will be the largest subsidy-free project in the country The project “Weesow-Willmersdorf” has received 42 units of Sungrow’s SG3125HV central inverter solutions and 21 units of 7.2MVA medium voltage skids including transformers and switch gears The product solutions well meet the strict German norms and enable ease of maintenance as well as long-term cost savings The inverters are prefabricated with inputs for DC-coupled storage solutions which could be added at a later stage The site has a planned operational life of 40 years It is expected to supply electricity to 50,000 households and reduce 129,000 tonnes of CO2 annually the German utility EnBW realized the project without state funding and plans to market the electricity generated at the park itself “Sungrow’s customized solution has made a significant contribution to make this project a reality,” said Stefan Lederer See also: World's largest solar plant is online in China Key Account Manager of Sungrow Germany said “We are very happy to be part of this project with EnBW EnBW’s choice to use Sungrow inverters for this very important project shows the trust the German market has in Sungrow and its high quality and state-of-the-art products.” Sungrow entered the German market 10 years ago and established a comprehensive local team offering sales technical support and after-sales services With the unsubsidized market taking another step forward in Germany Sungrow keeps increasing involvements in decarbonization actions to meet local renewable targets Looking to stay on top of all relevant industry and business news? Click here to subscribe to our free twice-weekly pv Europe newsletter. A podcast for investors on the opportunities and risks of the solar market The pv Europe editorial team offers their own analysis and discusses current topics with experts The Russian Embassy in Berlin handed a protest note to the German Foreign Ministry over the desecration of a Soviet military monument in the eastern city of Werneuchen Russian news agency TASS reported on Tuesday "The Embassy continues to record acts of vandalism against Soviet military graves and memorials in Germany a video appeared on the internet in which a German supporter of neo-Nazi beliefs desecrates a Soviet military memorial in the city of Werneuchen (Federal State of Brandenburg) accompanying his trick with racist statements," the Russian diplomatic mission said in a statement this is a "disgusting act as an attempt to incite ethnic hatred as well as a cynical trampling on the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of the world and Europe from Nazism." The mission asked citizens who witnessed the desecration of Soviet military cemeteries and memorial sites to inform the Russian Embassy in Germany as soon as possible stating the location and time of the incidents from Berlin to Brandenburg 13 years ago he never thought about politics allowed Bach RC to build two new production lines Today it has 50 employees and an overflowing order book from clients across the globe And Mr Bach has become distracted by the rise of the xenophobic Alternative for Germany (AfD) He is now hesitating about building another much-needed line He occasionally thinks about relocating the business altogether This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Deutschland AG v AfD” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Paramount’s dilemma exemplifies a broader problem The coffee chain’s new boss is struggling to fix its problems Solar panels and wind turbines in Werneuchen 2024 at 9:49 AM EDTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Germany is likely to reach its overall climate goals by 2030 even as it struggles to comply in the transport and building sectors according to the Federal Environment Agency By the end of the decade, the country will be within reach of curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 65% from 1990 levels, the agency said in a report published Friday. Just a year ago, a reduction of 57% was expected. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Sheep graze in a field solar panels at the Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park in Werneuchen Solar panels produced about 12% of the EU’s electricity from May to August, power that would have cost as much as 29 billion euros ($28.9 billion) had it been produced by natural gas-burning plants, according to analysis from climate think-tank Ember. The figures underscore the crucial role that renewable energy sources will play in Europe’s efforts to cut reliance on imported and polluting fuels in the coming months and years. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account (Bloomberg) — A plume of Saharan dust is set to curb solar generation in parts of central and southern Europe in the coming days Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Article contentA low-pressure system with brisk southerly winds is forecast to carry sand from North Africa to Europe resulting in moderate to high amounts of dust in the lower atmosphere above Germany and Italy on Thursday according to MetDesk meteorologist Matthew Dobson but could be a 10-20% reduction in solar for the areas affected,” Dobson said By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The rise of intermittent renewable generation in Europe has made weather a key driver of power prices, with fluctuating wind and solar output often reflected in short-term market rates. When conditions are favorable, prices can plunge — even turning negative. But when renewables fall short, the opposite occurs, as more expensive fossil fuels are burnt to fill the gap.  A cold front will accompany this week’s weather system, which is also forecast to increase cloud cover across the region, data from Atmospheric G2 show. Dobson said scattered showers could also deposit dust on solar panels, reducing power output on Friday, especially in southern and eastern Germany. “The effects of Saharan dust can be enormous,” said Amani Joas, head of FlexPower. “In some years, up to 8 gigawatts less solar power than predicted was generated in Germany in one day.” German grid operator Amprion expects reduced solar output until the weekend. The Sahara Desert is one of the biggest sources of atmospheric dust for western and central Europe, with disruptions most common during warmer months. Research suggests the disruptions are becoming more intense and frequent as climate change shifts jet stream flows. While the dust’s behavior and impact on energy generation is hard to predict, peak German solar output is forecast to drop from over 36 gigawatts on Wednesday to about 27 gigawatts on Thursday and less than 17 gigawatts on Friday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.  Power prices usually dip around midday during spring and summer when solar output peaks. But reduced generation is keeping prices elevated. Midday prices for Thursday are above €80 per megawatt-hour, compared with recent days when they plunged, sometimes to below zero. (Updates with new weather and power forecast information starting in fifth paragraph) transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account The biggest subsidy-free solar park in Germany was inaugurated in Brandenburg The entire site has been designed as a biodiverse green space the first kilowatt hour flowed out of Weesow- Willmersdorf and now the solar park has been formally inaugurated With the construction of the solar park roughly 30 kilometers east of Berlin EnBW has opened a new chapter in the story of photovoltaics in Germany Its 187 megawatts can supply up to 50,000 household each year with eco-friendly electricity This is currently the biggest open-field solar power plant in Germany EnBW built the solar park with no funding through the Renewable Energies Act (EEG).  It is a new way of ramping up the use of solar energy in Germany as EnBW board member Georg Stamatelopoulos explained in his speech at the official inauguration ceremony “We must be faster and more digital in order to increase the pace of expansion for renewable energies Processes must be streamlined and legally sound The relevant authorities also need additional staff,” he said Given the German government's aim of raising the level of gross energy consumption met by renewable energies to 65 percent by 2030 there would have to be an annual increase in photovoltaic capacity of 10,000 megawatts – twice as high as the figure to date.  There was good interaction between the administrative bodies local authorities and the people who live near to the location for this project The construction approval process involving the authorities and the district of Barnim was completed in just five months Werneuchen Municipal Council also embraced the development and land-use planning process Stamatelopoulos thanked the local people for backing this energy transition project Did you miss that? PPAs for subsidy-free solar power on trend State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy welcomed the guests and said: “The Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park shows us how the future of renewable development can look nature and species conservation as a whole are planned in close consultation with local people and institutions while being built without the need for EEG funding I hope that this example will catch on and be replicated elsewhere then the energy transition in Germany will succeed.”  Also interesting: How Germany can become climate-neutral by 2050 not far from Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park thereby creating a unique solar cluster in Brandenburg made up of three large solar power plants the entire solar park site has been designed as a biodiverse green space Another 45 hectares belong to the project site Part of this area is occupied by public pathways that run through the solar park and are used by walkers and riders EnBW is planting native deciduous and fruit trees on the additional space and mountain ash as well as apple and pear trees Plus there will be over 16,000 bushes – including hornbeam and many other species – as soon as the weather conditions are right for transplanting them from the nursery Thirteen stepping-stone biotopes provide shelter for small animals Photos captured by wildlife cameras show that the solar park is proving to be an attractive habitat for the fauna of the region The fox and rabbit bid one another good night here  Click here to sign for pv Europe`s newsletter twice a week XXL (Weesow-Willmersdorf) solar park is a 187MW solar project being developed in Brandenburg It will be the largest solar park in the country and will supply power to 50,000 households EnBW owns the project through EnBW Solarpark Weesow-Willmersdorf. It acquired the project from the previous developer Procon Solar in July 2018. The company is developing the solar park without government subsidy and is evaluating different options to market the electricity produced from the project The solar park is expected to generate approximately 180 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually offsetting approximately 129,000t of CO₂ a year The project construction began in March 2020 and the Weesow-Willmersdorf solar park is expected to begin operations by the end of 2020 The photovoltaic power plant will be in service for 40 years The XXL solar project is being built on an area of 164ha in the Weesow and Willmersdorf suburbs The site is situated in the city of Werneuchen The project will include over 465,000 solar modules distributed over four solar fields divided by a network of paths within the site It will employ TSM-DEG15M.20(II) Duomax modules featuring 144 half-cut cells and up to 410Wp output The Duomax double-glass modules being used for the park are designed to deliver reliability even under challenging environmental conditions The modules use lighter 2+2mm glass and aluminium frames to facilitate easy transportation and installation The dual-glass structure of the module provides a longer lifespan while also delivering more power through half-cut cells and multi-busbar technology The electricity produced from the solar park will be fed to three 110kV overhead cables operated by network operator E.DIS Netz The project will include two new transformer stations One of the transformers will be situated to the west (near Börnicke) of the park and the other to the southwest (in Blumberg) The solar park will be connected to the Börnicke transformer station via a 4km-long underground cable and to the transformer station in Blumberg via a 7km underground cable connection. It will also be connected to the EnBW control centre in Barhöft for monitoring the technical equipment at the facility Land-use planning for the project with changes to the zoning plan and preparation of the development plan commenced in 2009 The building permit for the solar park was secured in August 2019 while final investment decision was made in October 2019 The initial works for the solar park included the preparation of the subsurface The first 18,000 solar modules were delivered at the construction site in June 2020 while assembling works started in July 2020 Foundations have been laid for the Börnicke transformer station in July 2020 Construction for the operating building of the Blumberg transformer station to house the switchgear was already completed the company laid over 120km of underground cables within the solar park as of June 2020 completing about half of the internal cabling work Trina Solar was contracted by EnBW to supply solar modules for the solar project Prysmian won a contract worth over €3.5m ($4m) to deliver 7,500km of its TECSUN cables for the cabling of the PV modules Gantner Instruments Environment Solutions was selected to provide a monitoring and control solution Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page CommoditiesArdian Is in Advanced Talks to buy ICG-Backed Green Firm Akuo, Sources SayBy Francois de Beaupuy and Pamela BarbagliaPublished: October 28, 2024 at 8:30AM EDT (Bloomberg) -- French buyout firm Ardian SAS is in advanced talks to buy Akuo Energy SAS, a French solar and wind-farm developer part-owned by Intermediate Capital Group, people familiar with the matter said. Ardian’s bid values the company at about $2.5 billion including debt, one of the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. The buyout firm has started due diligence and aims to reach an agreement as soon as December, the people said. Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty a transaction will occur, according to the people. The talks were first reported by news website GreenUnivers. Representatives for Akuo and Ardian declined to comment. Akuo, which ended discussions with potential buyers more than a year ago amid disagreements over its valuation and strategy, needs funds to speed up projects in Europe and the US, President and co-founder Eric Scotto told Bloomberg News last December. The clean-power developer had €2.1 billion ($2.3 billion) of assets on its balance sheet at the end of 2023, according to its earnings report.  Akuo — which is mostly owned by Scotto, another co-founder Patrice Lucas and ICG — said in May it planned to refocus its activities by selling some projects, pulling out of Australia and seeking a strategic partner for its African platform. The Paris-based company also pledged to optimize operational assets, and said it’s working on “the structuring of a sizable portfolio” of wind, storage and photovoltaic ventures in the US and Europe.  Meanwhile, receding borrowing costs and falling solar-panel prices have given a breather to developers of renewable projects, which require large capital expenditure. That’s revived interest from investors who are seeking exposure to the sector amid growing demand for greener sources of power. In May, Canadian asset manager Brookfield unveiled a €6.1 billion takeover plan for French renewable firm Neoen SA, while Energy Capital Partners and co-investors agreed to buy Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure Plc for about $2.6 billion. That same month, EQT AB offered to purchase Swedish wind developer OX2 AB for 16.4 billion kronor ($1.5 billion). KKR & Co. offered in March to acquire German renewable-power producer Encavis AG in a €2.8 billion deal.  Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Become a friend of Ransom Note and support independent journalism the festival will offer a new experience for Berliners Veryl Festival will play host to some of the biggest and most influential names in dance and electronic music this summer offering an alternative for partygoers in the German capital Taking place at an old airfield in August later this summer the festival announced its line up earlier this week which included names from across the breadth of house The festival will run between the 11th and 14th of August and will feature two stages alongside yoga The event will also launch a charitable initiative this year with every ticket sold, two euros will go to the Baumretter e.V. which has set the goal of enabling people and cities to lead sustainable and conscious lives and to therefore actively support the environment Guests set to appear at the festival include big names such as Aurora Halal Veryl Festival will take place at Flughafen Werneuchen More details HERE This website uses cookies to help it run smoothly Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio Watching the duo Elon Musk and Donald Trump lay waste to everything in their path over the past few weeks I wondered how the energy business might be affected particularly those energy initiatives directly tied to climate change which Trump has already decreed a “giant hoax” One assumes that anyone involved in green anything is unhappily watching jobs being shed political support turning tail and funding drying up (not only in the US but elsewhere as the USAID money spigot is ruthlessly closed) It is not a fun time for environmental warriors right now This thought led me to take another look at the solar industry, to get a sense of how much wind will be sucked out of its sails (to wildly mix metaphors), or the opposite, given the energy demands of new technologies like AI.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads how things have changed since I last looked got wind of my preparing to write this article claiming that solar power is the greatest energy boondoggle ever foisted on a gullible public a massive waste of money inspired by misinformed optimism He besieged me with papers and articles all making the same argument I read them all and then did a bunch of research A greater contradiction between his research and mine you could not imagine although I suspect my friend’s objections to solar energy have more to do with the taint of liberalism than the pure science and economics of the matter What I found was this: solar is within a hair’s breadth of eclipsing most, if not all, other energy sources in terms of cost per kWh and, if innovation continues at the same pace, possibly only a decade away from eclipsing all other energy sources across every metric in the energy value chain.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Gemini Deep Research and Perplexity Deep Research to crawl through mounds of research on the subject and it was an education in and of itself I wanted to steer clear of any research that might be coloured by politics or commissioned by ideological paymasters This turned out to be easier than I thought I specifically asked the AIs to concentrate their efforts on neutral research — to exclude industry-funded efforts (renewable or fossil) or policy papers The AIs helpfully provided their sources so it was easy to check the authorship and provenance of the research The result was numbers from generally reliable sources like the IEA (International Energy Agency) BloombergNEF and Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy The AIs correctly ignored sources like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is a policy-making institution and not a scientific body Quibblers will still quibble but at least some filters are better than none Most of the charts and stats were startling From a purely economic perspective — ignoring externalities like the availability of the raw materials to make solar cells and issues such as grid connection and deep engineering electrotech arcana —we find that the cost per kWh has fallen vertiginously over the last few decades Solar needs its sibling (energy storage) to see it through dark times lithium-ion battery costs have seen one of the most dramatic declines in energy history The IEA notes that solar PV coupled with batteries is now cost-competitive with new coal plants in India. Add to this the application of AI to materials science in general and battery science in particular. Already, a novel electrolyte that uses 70% less lithium has been discovered by a Microsoft-funded AI project (gnarly details here) How close does all this come to being a real on-the-ground benefit for the rest of us Last year I installed a solar system at my home even taking into account the capital cost of installation is less than half the price charged by our local utility I have not bought any electricity (beyond a small prepaid purchase) for six months Many detractors of solar energy point to subsidies as the reason for the rosy projections claiming that the industry would collapse without them But you only need to point to the Clayhill Solar Farm in the UK a privately funded company which is already profitable without any subsidy of any kind It was first over the line and has solidly proved the commercial case What about AI and its robust energy demands the AI behemoths like OpenAI and Anthropic which require massive “utility-scale compute” for training and inference are fairly small in number — perhaps 10-20 globally They are heading over to nuclear where they can lock up reliable 24-hour Notwithstanding Musk and Trump and their contempt for climate change the solar industry is now breaking free of the tether of politics and culture and arguments about the climate and the financiers and entrepreneurs who will reap the bounties of solar in the future no longer have to concern themselves with any of that noisy debate Steven Boykey Sidley is a professor of practice at JBS columnist-at-large for Daily Maverick and a partner at Bridge Capital His new book “It’s Mine: How the Crypto Industry is Redefining Ownership” is published by Maverick451 in SA and Legend Times Group in the UK/EU The evidence is pretty convincing that it’s a dominant and real trend Maybe innovation (without changing our behaviour which is also much needed) might be the climate change saviour after all First solar prices dropped : about R9k per kW Regardless of bunnies and carbon : solar plus storage is cheaper and more reliable than our grid ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + "