Germany has installed a record amount of new solar energy in 2012, 7.6 gigawatts (GW) of new capabilities, according to new data published by the Ministry of the environment. New facilities have declined a bit towards the end of the year, because (feed-in rates for solar country) subsidies have been slashed.
Total solar capacity it has grown more than 7.6 GW, taking the previous records of 7.5 GW in 2011 and 7.4 GW in 2010. These large increases in capacity have been triggered by the country's feed-in tariffs "that are guaranteed to producers for 20 years to encourage carbon free power to gradually replace fossil fuels," as written by Reuters .
Recently, some companies in the country are complaining that the phasing out of nuclear power plants and substituting subsidized renewable energy, is "endangered" economic growth.
The Conservative Government has decided to respond to these concerns by reducing the level of tariffs in order to slow down the rate of new facilities, up to what solar energy is cheaper than other currently used forms of energy. Rates were then reduced by 2.5% per month between November 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013.
These reductions resulted in new installed capacity in the last quarter of 2012, less than one-fifth of the total for the year. "611 megawatts (MW)" was installed in October, 435 MW in November and 360 MW in December. ""shows quite clearly that reductions in work. The Ministry of the environment provides total new installed energy solar power for 2013 between 3.5 GW and 4 GW.
The association of solar producing reports, that in 2012, "its members provided 8 million households with power, 45 percent more in 2011 and represent 5% of the total energy consumption."
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