SPIEGEL ONLINE - 06.06.2012
After a year of little progress in Germany's so-called energy revolution, Chancellor Merkel recently reshuffled her cabinet to give it some fresh impetus. In a SPIEGEL interview, new Environment Minister Peter Altmaier discusses the need to inject reality into rosy assumptions and defuse anger sparked by the turnaround's costs. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 29.05.2012
Germany was proud of its supposedly future-proof solar industry and subsidized it to the hilt. But then the Chinese got in on the act and started making much cheaper solar cells. Now, following a glut in production, companies in both countries are fighting for survival. By Wiebke Hollersen more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 23.05.2012
Germany's energy revolution has hardly begun, but it's already running out of steam. There is a lack of political decisiveness and companies are complaining of a dearth of incentives to invest billions in necessary infrastructure. Progress or no progress, taxpayers continue footing the bill. By Frank Dohmen, Alexander Jung, Michael Sauga and Andreas Wassermann more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 27.04.2012
The global solar industry has entered a brutal phase of consolidation and nowhere are the effects as dramatic as in eastern Germany. Several companies have already declared bankruptcy, leaving towns and cities in the region struggling with job losses and tax revenue shortfalls. The future bodes ill. By Charles Hawley more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 03.04.2012
The German solar industry is at a turning point. The bankruptcy of Q-Cells this week shows that the days of German solar cell production are numbered. Asian competitors took the lead years ago, and German government subsidies were part of the problem. By Stefan Schultz more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 02.04.2012
Drivers may hate rising gas prices, but some companies are delighted as they watch the oil price soar. Firms like BMW and Airbus which are leaders in fuel efficiency actually benefit from expensive oil. They are just two of a growing number of companies that are already developing technologies for a post-fossil-fuel world. By SPIEGEL Staff
more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 27.02.2012
Germany long aimed to be a front runner in the solar energy industry, but waning subsidies and rising competition from China have clouded its outlook. To add insult to injury, the Chinese boom has been generously supported by German financial aid. By Alexander Neubacher more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 26.01.2012
German Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen has said he wants to cut subsidies on installing solar panels sooner than planned as the number of people taking advantage of the incentives continues to soar. As do costs to electricity customers. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 20.01.2012
The future of solar subsidies has pitted members of Chancellor Merkel's cabinet against each other. But instead of politicizing the issue, German commentators on Friday urge the country's leaders to focus on consumers and what best serves Germany's energy needs. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 18.01.2012
In a SPIEGEL interview, deputy parliamentary floor leader for the conservative Christian Democrats, Michael Fuchs, discusses the mistakes made in Germany's subsidy policy for solar energy. By Peter Müller and Alexander Neubacher more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE - 18.01.2012
The costs of subsidizing solar electricity have exceeded the 100-billion-euro mark in Germany, but poor results are jeopardizing the country's transition to renewable energy. The government is struggling to come up with a new concept to promote the inefficient technology in the future. By Alexander Neubacher more...
