Germany Installed More Than 2 GW of Solar in December

[kristopher]

Germany Installed More Than 2 GW of Solar in December
The annual year-end rush to install solar in Germany—at $2.80 per watt

The U.S. installed about 1.7 gigawatts of photovoltaic panels in 2011, according to GTM Research.
Germany installed more than 2 gigawatts of solar in the month of December alone.
That's good news and bad news. Good news because there is still demand for solar and Germany is amazingly efficient at deploying solar panels; bad news because it reveals the market distortions provoked by subsidies and fading subsidies.
December traditions in Germany involve Christmas, stollen, and a rush to install solar panels before the feed-in tariff subsidy drops. Installations for the full year will be nearly 7 gigawatts according to a press release from the BSW (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, the German Solar Industry Association). Germany installed 7.4 gigawatts of solar panels in 2010.

The feed-in tariff ...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Germany-Installed-More-Than-2-GW-of-Solar-in-December/

[Starboard Tack]

1. Amazing. We could learn a lot from the Germans

When adjusted for population differences, that's about 20 times more solar installation then the US. What the heck is wrong with us?

[Vincardog]

2. What the heck is wrong with us? Our Government and courts are owned by corporations

[Starboard Tack]

3. Exactly, but we don't have to go along with that.

How many of us invest in those corporations with our money and our votes? How many of us can even answer that question, knowingly?
Each one of us who buys a solar panel makes a statement. Each one who leaves a light on or the TV all night, or the faucet running, or drives an SUV to the supermarket makes the opposite statement.

Many whine. Few act.

[txlibdem]

10. That is the biggest problem we face.. and we must win that battle

Actually, our gov't and courts are owned by THE WRONG CORPORATIONS -- the ones that do the most damage to our lives and the environment. It would be different if the corporations that own our government were environmentally and socially responsible. But they are not.

That is why we must END corporate personhood and end the idea that money is speech.

We the People, Not We the Corporations | Move to Amend
http://movetoamend.org/

[oldhippie]

5. One answer to that is ....

.... that most Americans would not tolerate having to pay $.33 per KWHr for their electricity, like my friends in Munich do. The Germans accept a much higher cost of electricity for various reasons, smaller houses, fewer appliances, etc. Most people here would go bonkers if their electric company doubled or tripled their prices.

[Kolesar]

7. The Germans already had high electricity costs.

And the social good that they received by paying the higher cost for photovoltaic electricity is worth it. There is no more expedient way to eliminate smog, particulates, acid rain, carbon emissions, and habitat destruction due to mining.

so there!

[oldhippie]

8. So there?

What? Did we disagree on something?

[Starboard Tack]

9. Americans are in line for a rude awakening

if they don't start pulling their fat fingers out of their fat asses and start being more frugal and responsible in terms of consumption. Pretty soon we'll be paying way more than the Germans, which will be good for us. As they say, no pain, no gain.

[jpak]

4. K&R

[jpak]

6. Germany installed more PV capacity in December than the US did in all of 2011

We need to catch up...

[kristopher]

11. We need a solid Democratic government.

Let's hope that this coming election will give progressives control.