Bild zeigt eine Straße, die aus Solarmodulen besteht.
Monitoring

Taking stock of the energy reforms

Renewables are now our number-one source of electricity, and power consumption is down, but we need to continue to improve on energy performance. The Fourth Monitoring Report shows where we are in our energy transition, highlighting areas where we have made headway – and the ones where we need to do more.

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Few countries can rival Germany when it comes to energy efficiency. 2014 was no exception here, with Germany posting GDP growth whilst reducing its energy consumption per euro in economic output.

direct view

Lower energy consumption that can boost GDP

Few countries can rival Germany when it comes to energy efficiency. 2014 was no exception here, with Germany posting GDP growth whilst reducing its energy consumption per euro in economic output.

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Bild zeigt Staatssekretär Baake mit IRENA-Generalsekretär Adnan Z. Amin
Renewable energy

Well on track on renewables

Germany will be able to rely on ever-greater shares of solar and wind energy. This was confirmed by a recent study conducted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The study found that there is room for greater use of renewables, especially in the heating and transport sectors.

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Prof. Dr. Dirk Uwe Sauer / RWTH Aachen und JARA Energy sowie Prof. Dr.-Ing. Julia Kowal, TU Berlin, Fachgebiet Elektrische Energiespeichertechnik

controversial

Do we need electric cars as mobile storage units for the energy transition to work?

Prof Julia Kowal from the TU Berlin and Prof Dirk Uwe Sauer from RWTH Aachen University give their answers.

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Colored bars of a energy effiiency label under a magnifying glass.

direct account

How do you read the ‘energy label’ for old boilers?

In future, a host of multi-coloured efficiency labels will name and shame inefficient heaters – no matter whether they are old or new. January 2016 will see the introduction of the energy label for old boilers. But: how do you read an ‘energy label’ correctly, and are they all the same?

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Bild zeigt Strommast auf dem Land
Grids

Reducing the cost of expanding local distribution grids

Everyone is talking about ‘electricity highways’, but what consequences does the energy transition have for local distribution grids bringing electricity to the homes of final consumers?

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Claudia Kemfert, Head of Department Energy, Transportation, Environment at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

Quote of the week

"Europe does not need nuclear energy. We have seen a sharp increase in investment costs for building new nuclear power plants, operating costs are rising and there are still a number of sticking points including the dismantling of power plants and finding a final storage location for nuclear waste. All of this makes nuclear energy highly unprofitable, which is why a renaissance of nuclear energy – today or in the future – is impossible."

Claudia Kemfert, Head of Department Energy, Transportation, Environment at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

direct reports

Energy Union: European Commission publishes first report

The evaluation shows that we need better monitoring in order for Europe to meet its energy and climate targets. Find out more

IEA Ministerial meeting in the run-up to the Paris climate summit: energy transition at global level is key to mitigating climate change

State Secretary Baake: ‘With our energy reforms, we are demonstrating how to successfully transition to an energy supply that is environmentally compatible in the long term and at the same time secure and affordable’. Find out more

dena Efficiency Congress: waking the sleeping giant

State Secretary Baake said that by adopting the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE) a little less than one year ago, the Federal Government had woken the “sleeping giant” of energy efficiency. Find out more

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