Facts and figures on the social impact of the Energiewende
Landscape:
The German electricity grid is a total of in length 鈥� the distance from the earth to the moon 鈥� and connected to 550,000 transformers. But only the 20 per cent of the network suspended on masts are visible, with the rest laid underground. An of new high-voltage grid is currently being laid, much of it to accommodate renewables. It is not yet clear how much of this will be above and below ground.
There are 1.4 million solar PV panels and solar thermal collectors on German homes, barns, garages, and in solar parks (2013).
Germany has installations with capacity of over 3.5 GW (2013).
The capacity of power stations in Germany is 21 GW and the of Germany鈥檚 hard coal-burning facilities is 26.5 GW.
As of mid-2014, there were an estimated wind turbines in Germany with capacity of 35.4 GW.听
Housing:
Regulations for new buildings:听As of 2016, all new residential and non-residential buildings must meet with a 25 per cent lower ceiling for primary energy demand.听 As of 2021, the EU鈥檚 鈥渘early zero energy standard鈥� will apply to all new buildings. This means they must have very low energy consumption, though the leaves the precise definition open so that member states have room to determine the most appropriate application within their own context.
Old buildings:听The owners of existing buildings must comply with : 1)听Heating systems must be replaced after 30 years, starting with oil and gas boilers installed before 1985, which must be replaced by 2015. 2)听Top-floor ceilings must comply with minimum heat insulation requirements by the end of 2015. This applies to the ceilings of heated rooms located below unheated attics.
There are 6,635 certified passive houses in Germany, according to the .
research project addressing buildings and energy is called Research for Energy Optimized Building. Its task is to develop designs for the buildings of the future. Its multi-disciplinary teams monitor and analyze model projects, the potential of schools, the economic viability of energy-optimized buildings, workplace satisfaction and comfort, and energy-optimized construction, among other issues.
CO2 equivalents from private households have fallen by 30 per cent since 1990 (See Figure 1), largely as a result of the declining use of fuel oil for heating (See Figure 2). However, because the biggest share of household energy consumption goes on heating, these emissions fluctuate with the weather, year on year. Gas and oil make up more than half of household energy consumption (See Figure 3). Electricity consumption in households has declined, partly as a result of technological advances such as energy-saving light bulbs and more efficient appliances.
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Labour force:
The number of in the renewable energy sector has more than doubled since 2004 (See Figure 4). In 2013, there were 371,400 staffed positions covering manufacture, management, project development and supply, among others. This is fewer than in 2012, when there were 399,800 jobs. From 2012 to 2013 45,400 solar PV manufacturing positions were lost 鈥� a fall in this sector of 40 per cent.
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Education:
There are 824 鈥渟olar schools鈥� in Germany (according to ) that either operate solar panels or regularly address the topic of renewable energy in the classroom. In 2013, solar schools produced a total of 6.4 million kWh of climate-friendly power. As of 2016, the Energiewende will be taught as part of Baden-Wurttemberg鈥檚 curriculum.
There are at German colleges and universities 鈥� from vocational training to postgraduate courses 鈥� that address renewable energy.
Communities:
There are 111 鈥�鈥� in Germany that produce at least 50 per cent of their own electricity and heat from biomass.听听
-听 is a project that identifies, monitors and networks regions, municipalities and cities that want to convert their energy supply to renewables. Currently, there are more than 130 counties, municipalities, regional networks and cities in Germany pursuing this goal.
Tourism:
Germany鈥檚 Federal Ministry of Energy and Economy there are 2.9 million people directly employed in tourism in Germany, or 7 per cent of the German workforce.
Viabono is for sustainable tourism. The company uses sustainability criteria to evaluate hotels, youth hostels, pensions, campsites and more. Viabono grades the carbon footprint of all of the facilities it certifies.
The 听Deutschland - Erneuerbare Energien erleben is currently in its second edition. It highlights 190 destinations and sights for tourists interested in renewable energy and the Energiewende. Baedeker is one of Germany鈥檚 oldest tourist guide book publishers, founded in 1827.
Automotive:
New registrations of electric cars in Germany doubled from around 3,000 in , according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority. There are now 13,000 electric vehicles registered in Germany. By 2020, the Federal Republic aims to have electric-powered vehicles on the road.
There are 14,326 in Germany, and 2,233 e-car charging stations (2013), as well filling stations.
