Bodmer, Managing Director of relatio, requires fair cost comparison between energy vectors.

Balingen/Berlin. Explicit critique on the current course of the government already led to political turbulences. Now, Winfried Hermann, chairman of the German Federal Parliament's traffic committee, asked for a conversation with relatio. The solar use in traffic areas is now also being discussed.

Winfried Hermann, member of the German Federal Parliament, applied for a visit at relatio. Hermann is chairman of the Federal Parliament's traffic, construction and urban development committee. This is a very interesting constellation, as Hermann supports politics of medium-sized companies, as relatio: On one hand, highly innovative, on the other hand flexible in management and modifications. Characteristics, which fit to small and medium-sized companies - especially to companies in the renewable energy branch. These attributes are especially distinctive at relatio.

"The current government does not hold back lip services, when they talk about strengthening middle class companies", criticizes Bernd Bodmer, "but facts tell another story: Only the unscheduled imprudent violation reducing the feed-in tariff for solar current, already led to thousand terminations of work contracts in medium-sized companies." In contrary the feed-in tariff would not cost any taxes, but would lead to tax revenue for the country. They would handicap a future branch and subsidize yesteryear branches with billion Euros. Large companies, "which even do not pay taxes" profit from this money, not medium-sized companies. <read more> 

Source: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Bodmer: „The feed-in tariff's reduction will unavoidably lead to a slower development of solar plants, especially in case of PV-plants installed on open land - thereby it will unavoidably be necessary to prolong operational periods of power plants." It would be right to adjust depreciated rates of return of nuclear power plants to federal bonds and to use remaining money for the contribution of the Renewable Energy Law.

For the Green Party, ecologically compatible energy production would be important in future, therefore they show some kind of skepticism in regards to PV plants installed on agricultural crop land, said Winfried Hermann and held a view on using roof areas first, before blocking open land. 

This point of view would generally be correct, said Bodmer. Nevertheless he portended: "Plants on open land cause higher quantities in production of solar modules due to their size. Therefore solar current is cheaper. In comparison to the Tauberlandpark, approximately seven to ten thousand statically adequate roofs should be found. Furthermore the roof should be in south direction and equipped with photovoltaic until 1st of June. Installers of roof plants know that this is impossible." PV plants on open land push the technology faster, ensure faster reduction in price and cause cheaper prices for roof plants. "We need 320.000 modules for the Tauberlandpark, which means nearly one complete annual capacity utilization for a module factory."

Bodmer points out that his company certainly attaches importance to using as many roofs as possible for producing solar energy. "However many roofs are not suitable due to their statics or ownership structures are not clear. In this case, simply time is required. But we need the electricity now. Here, I think a solar plant on open land is a much better "bridge-technology" than nuclear power stations." The Tauberlandpark would be completely removable. As soon as there are enough PV plants on roofs, areas may be used for agriculture again. Even during the solar utilization of the area, agricultural use of the land would be restrictedly possible. "We have 9 meters space between the module ranks. About 35 percent of the land is set with modules."

The member of the German Federal Parliament also talked about the RWI study. Accurately timed at the beginning of contract negotiations between the parties, this study caused retention in regards to solar current production presenting adventuresome figures. Ms. Gönner (CDU), environment minister of Baden-Württemberg, asked RWI to explain the figures and their source as well as substantiating them by facts. She never received corresponding answers.

As chairman of the traffic committee in the German Federal Parliament, it would be important for him, ending discussions with constructional proposals, said Hermann. During the discussion, new ideas stuck out: "We have 30 percent of relocated areas in Germany - 10 percent is traffic area". Hermann posed the question if solar utilization of this area would be technically realizable.

"We have already been active in overbuilding parking areas", relates Frank Rothacher, relatio Managing Director for roof-plants, "this challenge would be technically solvable, but we run against legal difficulties". If the legislative body supports solar overbuilding of traffic areas, he would first have to create legal frame conditions.

The Federal Parliament Member took this suggestion - he can imagine that theoretically motorways might be overbuilt. Rothacher: "I think we can promise that we are able to take technical challenges, if you take care of legal requirements."