Australian Solar Energy vs German Solar Energy
Australian solar energy and German solar energy, Why compare these two? Australia and Germany are top ranking nations when it comes to harnessing sun’s energy in the entire world and the world is looking at the progress of these two nations to eventually benefit from their exploits. These countries are proving to be role models for the rest of the world in harnessing sun’s heat for their energy needs.
With rapid depletion of fossil fuels to meet ever growing energy needs all over the world, and also the harm caused to the environment by burning fossil fuels in the form of greenhouse gases resulting in global warming, the world is looking to solar energy as a safer and cleaner source of energy. Indeed sun’s heat is more than enough for our energy requirements as it is abundant and constant. But the technological advancement in this regard has not kept pace with the growing energy demands. In this context, the rapid development of technology needed to harness sun’s energy made by Australia and Germany needs special mention.
Germany today is the largest use of sun’s energy having installed more photovoltaic units than any other country. In fact it is one nation that is producing more than 50% of solar energy of the world at present. The total production of electricity using solar power in Germany stands at 3830 MW. Though Australia receives more sun than Germany, it is lagging behind Germany in this regard. It is producing 300 MW of electricity using solar energy. In Australia, solar power development has to do with feed in tariffs and mandatory renewable energy targets whereas Germany is taking giant leaps in solar power production on its own.
In Germany, it is not rising fuel prices or power outages but the huge incentives provided by the government that are responsible for solar revolution. The Renewable Energy Act passed last year in Germany allows incentives of 43 cents for each kWh of solar energy produced and this is a huge incentive for those involved in solar energy production.
Germany is already producing 1.1% of its total energy requirements through solar energy and expects to produce 25% of its energy needs through solar power by 2050. In contrast, Australia is producing merely 0.1% of its total energy requirements through solar energy but expects to produce 20% of energy requirements by 2050.
The difference in amounts of electricity generated from solar energy in Germany and Australia is also due to high priority attached to solar energy by the government of Germany.