As Investments Turn Sour, Wind Energy Sector in Germany Begins To Crumble In Wake of Solar Industry Collapse

German alarmist site klimaretter.de here reports on the latest negative developments now hitting Germany’s wind power industry. The latest to be hit is wind-turbine transmission manufacturer Bosch Rexroth AG, which announced it will slash 210 jobs and give up a production plant in Nuremberg.

Wind turbine burning

Image cropped from: www.youtube.com/kGXoE3RFZ8

Klimaretter writes that the reason behind the move is “the changing wind market“, which according to Bosch-Rexroth spokesperson has seen immense fluctuations.

Because 2013 saw 10 gigawatts less wind energy power installed than a year earlier, ‘capacities have to be scaled back’.”

The layoffs come on the heels of Bavaria’s move to restrict the installation of wind parks in its idyllic countryside. However, the company claims that Bavaria’s policy had no impact on the decision.

Bosch Rexroth is just the latest in a series of setbacks the wind energy industry has seen over the last months. Germany’s solar industry has already collapsed and wind energy is just the latest victim in Germany’s rollback of renewable energies. Spiegel here writes that Germany’s solar industry has shed half its jobs in the last two years alone!

Last month German wind energy investment company Prokon filed for bankruptcy. The Local here writes that the company attracted 75,000 investors through a successful advertising campaign, where an 8 percent return on investment was promised. Today these investors are uncertain if they will ever see their money returned at all. The Local writes:

Investors had reportedly pulled €227 million of a total investment of €1. 4 billion, leaving the company far short of the 95 percent capital investment it needed to stay solvent.”

Spiegel here also reports on the dwindling returns and “broken promises” of wind energy investments.

Not only are windparks losing their appeal as a source of energy or as a secure investment in Germany, but resistance from citizens’ groups and environmentalists to planned projects is also rapidly mounting worldwide. Now windparks are facing lawsuits for killed birds. Benny Peiser’s GWPF site here writes:

A $1 million settlement with a renewables business for birds killed at two of the company’s wind farms marks the first time the U.S. government has pursued legal action against a wind developer for bird deaths caused by turbines.

Research published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Biological Conservation last year estimated that between 140,438 and 327,586 birds—or a mean of 234,012—are killed annually due to collisions with turbines across the U.S.”

Expect more strong headwinds against wind power in the months and years ahead.

35 responses to “As Investments Turn Sour, Wind Energy Sector in Germany Begins To Crumble In Wake of Solar Industry Collapse”

  1. Kurt in Switzerland

    Some conveniently forget: “sustainable” also needs to apply to the economics.

    Kurt in Switzerland

  2. Edward.

    Is this surprising?

    When bird brained green advocates [lunatics] and politicians, dictate and ordain energy policy – what else do you expect?

    The construction of whirlygig bird mincers was as brainless as it was totally illogical and a much vaunted solution – to a non problem – that of CAGW.

    The only fellas [investment bankers, steel manufacturers and Chinese mining and rare earth technology producers] who made a killing are long gone, what is left behind is a grid which is incompatible with a source of fitfull surging electrical power which is unsuitable to be put to use, everybody loses – it was predicted…………………..

    ……………………….. and it has come to pass.

    Green technology – depends on subsidy and without vast and generous taxpayer subsidy green technologies – would not exist. Green energy: is a fiction – just like Man Made Global Warming.

  3. Bjorn Ramstad

    This is news which should ben known, but obviously are not in Norwegian policy circles.
    They say Germany is the number one example for successfull use of wind and
    solar energy.
    Hence now planning to destroy the norwegian countryside.

  4. Kevin R. Lohse

    When one considers the scale and extent of what will ultimately be a fruitless pursuit of a fantasy, the damage done to the economies of the World’s nations will probably be as great as, WW1, WW2 and the Cold War combined.

  5. Moose

    @bjorn:
    Spread the word about the lies of wind energy around your beautiful country, do not let them destroy it!

  6. Hoi Polloi

    In Holland we’ve only just begun, reinventing the wheel again…

    Next year start of a new 150 turbines wind park @ 2,8 billion, with 4,5 billion subsidies.

    http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2014/01/30/nieuw-windmolenpark-in-noordzee-ter-waarde-van-28-miljard-euro/

    Look at the funny video at the end, priceless…

    1. KitemanSA

      It wouldn’t be so bad if they re-invented the wheel, but they keep reinventing the flat tire.

  7. As Investments Turn Sour, Wind Energy Sector in Germany Begins to Crumble in Wake of Solar Industry Collapse | Mothers Against Wind Turbines
  8. Ilma

    “the changing wind market … has seen immense fluctuations”. Just about sums it up. They are reaping what they have sown.

    1. KitemanSA

      And the rest of us keep getting raped by what they have strewn.

  9. Dirtman

    Thanks for reporting this, but might I suggest you do a little better with proper English? I was only a C student but I know it isn’t “shedded” half its jobs, the word is “shed”. And it’s not “there” money, the word is “their”. These gaffs jump out at the reader and your detractors will seize on them to deflect attention from the issue and attack your intelligence.

    1. Loodt Pretorius

      This piece of dirt is really getting up my nose.

      Kindly explain to this sewage farm solids collector that the most important scientific paper of the 20th century was written by Einstein in German.

      Can he please depart in a self abusing sexual manner to his local sewage works where his contribution is indispensable.

    2. Loodt Pretorius

      C student?

      Yes, we can see that.

  10. Stephen Richards

    Dirtman 5. Februar 2014 at 04:50

    PILLOCK.

    Don’t judge everyone elses attitude and demeanor by your own.

  11. Edward.

    I’ve been reading this blog for a number of years, the English is pretty darn good.

    Frequently, bearing in mind that with some blog commenters, English – it is not their first language I marvel at just how good are the responses submitted here. Indeed, I have never struggled to interpret the thoughts and feelings of either, the owner of the blog, nor of those who reply.

    But never mind that, it is the message not the medium or means of it, ie, the conveyance of the truth, which is above all the most important factor.

  12. roger

    Well said Pierre!

  13. K. van der Pool

    Hi Pierre,

    The last thing people should do is critizise the little ‘bavures’ in the use of other people’s (often second) language. I look at most AGW related blogs and the ‘first language’ user’s mishaps are worse. Lots of trouble with ‘lose’ and ‘loose’, ‘their’ morphs into ‘there’ but so what – its the message that counts.

    The only thing I find unforgivable is the consistent massacring of Dr. Svalgaard’s first name @ WUWT, sometimes you can find Leif and Lief interchanged in the same comment.

    BTW – your use of English, wordchoice and expressions are impeccable. Chapeau. Also, the articles are great – do you ever sleep?

    Thanks for the hard work in keeping the green lunacy at bay – I see signs the tide is turning.

    1. Loodt Pretorius

      Spot-on Kees?

      However, keep in mind that Pierre had most of his schooling in America and judging from his writing he actually dreams in English.

  14. K. van der Pool

    A bit OT but an interesting article (let’s be generous): “Noch sind praktisch keine Speicher nötig” by an electrochemical and storage technology professor,

    http://tinyurl.com/nvhjb34

    The good Professor Sauer is either really onto something, or the fumes in his chemistry lab got to him in a big way. . . .

    1. DirkH

      Well, owners of paper mills and other big machines that require hours of cleanup after any hiccup in energy supply might disagree with the government scientist.

      1. K. van der Pool

        Hi Dirk,

        Exacty. And if you hear Claudia “Druckluftspeicher” Kempfert loosely argue at one of her many TV appearances that all is well, pumped storage/air pressure/hydrogen/biofuel will take care of everything in due time, not to worry, you wonder where she gets that drivel.

        Ah, and yes, sunshine and windflow is now very much predictable and of course smart meters will come up with the rest of the gigawatthours.

        mfg,
        Kees.

  15. g1lgam3sh

    As to correcting spelling and grammar mistakes by others online…

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law

  16. K. van der Pool

    Hi Loodt,

    Thanks!
    Re: Pierre, well, that explains his facility with the language (specifically the US version). He would surely dream in English but I don’t think he sleeps – the articles appear fast and furious and from what I understand he also has a dayjob.

    mvg,
    Kees.

  17. David Cros

    At least Germany can be satisfied that they shed themselves and their neighbors of the liability and danger of nuclear power there

    1. DirkH

      A few numbers:
      Electricity is one third of German primary energy consumption.
      Renewable energy (including liquid and solid fuels) make up 12% of German primary energy consumption.
      Photovoltaics produces one fifth of renewable energy. (2013)
      http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verteilung_der_Erneuerbaren_Energien_2012_in_Deutschland.png

      Therefore, PV produces about 2.4 % of Germany’s whole energy needs.
      Wind power produces about 4 %.

  18. Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup | Watts Up With That?
  19. John V. Smith

    Wind turbines seem to present a significant threat as all their negative externalities are concentrated in one place, while those from conventional and nuclear fuel cycles are spread out across space and time. Avian mortality and wind energy has consequently received far more attention and research than the avian deaths associated with coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power generators [although] study suggests that wind energy may be the least harmful to birds.

    1. DirkH

      1 MW wind turbine, 20% capacity factor, means average 200 kW production; one 1 GW nuke needs 5000 of these wind turbines as replacement.
      5000 wind turbines = spread out in space and time.
      Negative: Wacking raptors out of the sky AND emitting infrasound, making countryside uninhabitable for man AND beast.
      Negative: Nuke still needed as backup. (or other expensive storage solution)
      Positive: ??? (Subsidies to squirrel away by cronies)

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