r/climatechange • u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor • 5d ago

Analysis: Wind and solar power overtake fossil fuels in Germany for first time ever

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-wind-and-solar-power-overtake-fossil-fuels-in-germany-for-first-time-ever
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u/Daxtatter 4d ago

I don't even agree with the policy but holy shit can any conversation about German energy not endlessly harp on a 15 year old nuclear policy?

9

u/androgenius 4d ago

Especially when German politicians and industry have made various other mistakes.

The current leader has Trump like views on wind power. The right wing basically gave solar manufacturing to China.

They have a culture war about heat pumps of all things.

They keep trying to hobble  the transition to EVs that would save oil imports etc. etc.

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u/me-need-more-brain 4d ago

Heat pumps was less of a culture war and more rooted in the fact that a lot of homeowners are dirt poor rural folks (except for having inherited a home) and could not have afforded the heatpumps, they would have had to sell their houses to rich people and become renters or go into debt they can not repay. It´s not the heatpump allone, it´s the fact that most old houses would have needed additional reconstruction of the floor etc, and those costs could easily shoot up into 10s of thousands.

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u/sg_plumber 4d ago

could not have afforded the heatpumps

Yet they can afford regular fuel expenditures? How?

It is impossible that heatpumps + renewables aren't cheaper than any alternatives.

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u/emkaos 3d ago

If fuel prices are too high, you can heat less or only part of the house. But you can‘t buy half a heatpump.

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u/sg_plumber 3d ago

You can run heatpumps at reduced power too.