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2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK). GOLDBECK-SOLAR Managing Director and President of the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) Joachim Goldbeck has described what the future of energy will look like and what role renewable energies will play in Ireland in particular for the commemorative publication, the 40th Anniversary Book, which will be published at the end of August.
If we take a look into the future of energy, it will almost certainly have three characteristics that will differentiate it to some extent from today’s energy generation: Renewability, intelligence and decentralization. On the one hand, this will allow every citizen to participate in the market in terms of generation and consumption. On the other hand, each country also becomes energy-independent from other nations and is no longer dependent on fossil resources for energy production. Fortunately, this picture is already a reality in many countries. The main driver here is photovoltaics, i.e. energy generation from the sun. Thanks to the rapid development of photovoltaics in recent years, this new and clean technology has now become a cheap source of electricity. It is therefore hardly surprising that the solar modules required for this can be found both on small rooftops and as large power plants.
Photovoltaics not only creates a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of generating energy. It also creates new and future-proof jobs. This is because jobs are created along the entire value chain, i.e. from the initial project planning, planning construction and operation through to the dismantling of the plant in 30 or 40 years’ time. These services are largely provided by local workers.
Photovoltaics therefore offers the best conditions for the sustainable development of a country and the entire world, both in terms of environmental and energy policy and in economic terms. In terms of economic aspects, there is enormous strength in particular when the individual segments of the market are developed in parallel. This means that in addition to large-scale greenfield projects, medium-sized systems are also being built on commercial and industrial buildings and small systems on private homes.
Another variant of the game is agro-photovoltaics or Agri-PV. Here, PV systems are installed on arable land in such a way that an almost normal agricultural operation can continue underneath. An existing area can thus be used in multiple ways and therefore more effectively. For a country like Ireland in particular, this is an exciting alternative due to its circumstances.
However, in order for this healthy mix of technologies and skills to develop in Ireland, there should initially be legal provisions for the various segments that enable and facilitate such a market in the first place. When it is finally foreseeable that these favorable framework parameters will enable a stable market, both local and international companies will set up their structures in Ireland and thus establish a strong economic sector. The German solar association BSW Solar is also happy to share its many years of experience with representatives of the public sector, associations and private companies. As President of the BSW and Managing Director of GOLDBECK SOLAR, I know how important it is to have experienced partners in the development of a new and sustainable industry. With 20 years of experience, GOLDBECK SOLAR is one of the pioneers of photovoltaic development. Through our solar projects around the world, we have been able to contribute to the global expansion of PV efforts and thus establish sustainable energy technology in numerous countries. Because one thing is clear: the future of energy is above all green – and with photovoltaics we are taking a big step towards this goal.
