Solar Power in Germany Like the DoDo Bird

Why do so many people forge ahead with strategic plans that they know will not work but do the wrong thing anyway. In their collective hearts they know when something is not right, but can't find the intestinal fortitude to move on this inner voice of common sense and experience.

It isn't as though there wasn't plenty of information before hand on all this nonsense of solar energy being the wave of the future, and we have to move right now to make it happen. Sure, there is a future for solar energy, but the technology is not here yet for it to be profitable. And without profits for those willing to take a chance in this industry, it is just another scheme to steal money by those in power.

Anyone that was paying attention knew it was about politics and just another way to take money from taxpayers and feed the accounts of those who control th purse strings in our government.

Germany Vows to Quicken Solar Power Subsidy Cuts
Source: "Solar Stocks Plunge as Germany Vows to Quicken Subsidy Cuts," Bloomberg, January 20, 2012.

Solar stocks plunged around the world after Germany, the largest market for panels, said it will make quicker cuts to subsidized rates and phase out support for the industry by 2017, reports Bloomberg.

German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said last week that he planned to reduce feed-in tariffs providing above-market prices for solar power every month instead of twice a year as he does now. He said he's working to curb an "unacceptable" surge in installations last year.

Yesterday's decision indicated ministers are speeding up efforts to restrain the boom in installations after developers added 7.5 gigawatts of panels last year, surpassing the 3 gigawatts that Roettgen said would be acceptable.

A slowdown in the German and Italian markets, which accounted for about half of worldwide installations last year, is bound to hurt the industry. Germany targets 2.5 to 3.5 gigawatts a year and seeks to phase out subsidies by 2017, Roettgen said.

The country was expected to cut tariffs by 15 percent in July, following a 15 percent reduction that took effect Jan. 1. Under the current law, lower rates are imposed automatically by above-target installations.