A recent study revealed that Germany’s renewable energy investments are already paying off. 

As PV Magazine reported, 80-90% of operational unit subsidies associated with the Renewable Energy Sources Act have already been paid. The researchers at Brandenburg University of Technology also found that onshore and offshore wind and ground-mounted photovoltaic installation costs have significantly improved and are now competitive. 

The researchers published their findings in Energy Policy to share what they learned about renewable energy unit subsidies in Germany. 

Their quantitative insights assessed subsidies based on feed-in tariffs, capacity in megawatts, average unit size, and the number of renewable units. The European Energy Exchange and other academic, institutional, and commercial sources provided data about electricity futures. 

The researchers’ findings confirm the competitiveness of today’s energy market and renewable energy fleets. Net support costs for renewable energy have been high in past years, so this news is encouraging for the future of clean, green energy. 

The researchers stated that “most net subsidies have already been paid” and that “in combination with battery storage, solar power will help the energy transition tremendously.”

However, they concluded that expanding wind power and ground-mounted PV should be the top priorities because they are the most cost-effective technologies. They’re researching how to integrate more solar capacity and handle degrading PV modules. 

They recommended “streamlining the permitting process for RES projects and increasing community acceptance and deployment of flexibility technologies.” 

This research from Germany is encouraging because it demonstrates how the world is moving toward more sustainable economies, providing investment and growth opportunities for individuals and communities. 

These researchers chose to study Germany because it sets a positive example of early renewable energy leadership. Germany has a track record of investment in clean energy and has ample quantitative information about those investments. 

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Worldwide, sustainability-focused companies are proving that they are worth the investment and that technologies are good for the planet and business. Clean energy projects promise high profit potential, create jobs, and make economies more resilient to extreme weather events. 

Meanwhile, other studies have revealed that dirty energy stocks are sharply declining and that investing in clean energy is a step in the right direction. Investing in clean energy stocks puts your money where your values are and helps fuel sustainability transitions. 

In response to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, one social media user commented, “Germany’s renewables success shows what consistent policy can achieve.”

“We have the solutions; let’s speed it up and implement them,” another user wrote.

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