The Local Germany

Green energy policies bring power giant to €7 billion loss

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 14:55:37 +0100

German power giant E.ON on Wednesday said it booked a €7.0 billion ($7.7-billion) net loss in 2015 and warned that "the course ahead will be tougher and longer than anticipated".

Solar eclipse to disrupt German power system

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 10:05:07 +0100

Power operators in Germany are bracing for potential disruption from the solar eclipse expected on Friday, which will knock out almost all solar-generated electricity in an "unprecedented" test for the network.

Germany pulls plug on solar subsidies

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 08:35:00 +0200

Germany will stop subsidizing solar energy by 2018 at the latest, its environment minister said on Monday after last year initiating a scaling-back of generous state support for the faltering industry.

Germany's Rösler fears EU-China trade war

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:57:00 +0200

German Economy Minister Philipp Rösler called on Wednesday for negotiations on a widening solar panel dispute between the EU and China to avoid an all-out trade war that could hit further sectors.

Merkel pledges to avert EU-China trade war

Mon, 27 May 2013 08:15:00 +0200

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged late Sunday to take steps to avoid a brewing trade war between China and the EU during a first visit by China's new premier to Germany, with both leaders calling for dialogue.

Bosch pulls plug on solar business

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:40:00 +0100

German car parts supplier Bosch said Friday it plans to discontinue its solar panel manufacturing business because overcapacity in the industry has caused prices to nosedive. Up to 3,000 workers are affected.

German's solar ovens sunbake Mexican tortillas

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:03:00 +0100

Under a blazing sun in Mexico's central mountain range, a German entrepreneur's clutch of large dish-shaped solar panels suck up the light and beam the heat into a kitchen, cooking tortillas.

Green energy cable to link Germany and Norway

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:18:00 +0200

German renewable energy sources will be linked to Norwegian storage plants via a new sea cable to be completed by 2018, grid operators said on Thursday as they outlined plans to build it.

US solar panel firm leaves gloomy Germany

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:22:00 +0200

German solar energy took another blow this week when US company First Solar confirmed the closure of a Brandenburg factory and the loss of more than 1,200 jobs. The collapse is particularly bitter as the firm had recently doubled production.

Lights go out at leading German solar firm

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:15:00 +0200

Germany’s leading maker of solar cells, Q-Cells, said Monday it was ready to file for bankruptcy as it no longer saw any secure financial basis for a continuation of its business.

Q-cells solar firm loses finance head as results continue to slide

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:11:00 +0100

Germany’s biggest solar panel company Q-cells lost its finance chief as it announced even worse results than had been expected on Monday, confirming the collapse of its business after a boom year in 2010.

Prosecutor probes Solar Millennium manager's pay deal

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:43:00 +0200

The state prosecutor is investigating the goings on in the boardroom of Germany’s flagship solar power company Solar Millennium, after a CEO who stayed just 74 days was paid €9 million, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Google invests €3.5 million in German solar energy plant

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:27:00 +0200

Google has invested €3.5 million in a German photovoltaic park, marking the internet giant’s first venture into the renewable energy market outside the United States.

Solar subsidies slashed

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:38:00 +0100

The solar industry has struck a deal with the German government to have the solar power subsidy slashed by up to 15 percent this year as demand for photovoltaic panels booms.

Taiwan's TSMC teams up with Centrosolar

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:03:00 +0100

Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) announced Tuesday that it had teamed up with German firm Centrosolar to produce solar modules.

Solar eclipse to occur Tuesday morning

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:49:00 +0100

Germany will see a partial solar eclipse Tuesday morning, when the moon will hide up to three quarters of the sun.

States aim to block cuts to solar energy subsidies

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:14:00 +0200

A majority of Germany’s 16 states are set to block the federal government’s planned cuts to solar energy subsidies in the upper house of parliament on Friday.

Bosch opens Southeast Asian office for green technologies

Wed, 12 May 2010 16:19:00 +0200

German industrial group Bosch on Wednesday opened its Southeast Asian headquarters in Singapore focusing on environmentally clean technologies.

Green Technologies: Can Germany keep its edge?

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:08:00 +0200

Germany has long been a leader in “green” technologies, but it’s facing growing competition from around the globe. In a special report for The Local, Sally McGrane examines the energy challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Green Technologies: Feed-in tariffs

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:54:00 +0200