We introduce the green boondoggle debacle of Erfstadt, Germany.
In 2018, with pomp and fanfare, the German town of Erfstadt opened a 90-meter test stretch solar bike path:
Among those there for the grand opening was the German Minister of Environment, Svenja Schulze of the SPD socialist party. Little did the dignitaries in attendance know, the rainy weather would be an omen for what the project would deliver.
The Ministry of Environment funded the pilot project to the tune of 150,000 euros (ca. $165,000).
But, as the video above shows, the 90 meters of solar power generating surface failed to produce any of the expected 12,000 kilowatt-hours of annual output. Almost immediately the system started melting, was damaged and was unable to produce any power at all.
After 3 months of operation, the system had managed to produce only 95 kilowatt-hours. “Relatively normal,” claimed the builder.
“Setting an example for climate protection”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Erfstadt mayor Volker Erner of the CDU conservative party. “We’re setting an important example for climate protection.”
Two years later, in 2020, the plug was pulled and the project abandoned. What’s left is a path covered with tarps to keep the mess from melting and rotting away – and is closed off. Now the involved parties are doing what Germans do best: spending years in court to figure out who’s to blame.
1000 euros a kilowatt-hour
In total, as the video shows, the green energy pioneering project ended up producing just 148 kilowatt-hours of power, which works out to be over 1000 euros a kilowatt-hour. That means it would cost you 1000 euros to leave a 100-watt light bulb on overnight!
“Dangerous illusion”
Retired economics professor Stefan Homburg commented on the boondoggle at X: “At first I thought the video was funny. But the current government is currently experimenting with our entire economy. They call it ‘transformation.’. In truth, a dangerous illusion.”
Soon, under the current Green-Socialist government, a lot more than just bike paths are going to end up in a heap of rubble in Germany.
This brilliant idea failed because too few of these solar roads were installed. For this project to succeed, it was necessary to transform the ENTIRE German road network at once (as for marxism, wind farms, …). 🙂
Same result in france and belgium.
Utterly useless and they knew it would be.
Gee Whiz. The Germans technical prowess has deteriorated quicker than their stupidity and belief in Energiewende.
“‘That doesn’t matter’,” said Erfstadt mayor Volker Erner of the CDU conservative party.“
“…CONSERVATIVE…”
I guess that term might not mean what I thought it did. But if it does, Germany better stop digging, or they’ll be speaking Mandarin before you know it.