Rising electricity and natural gas prices are pushing Germans to rely more than ever on renewable sources, as well as on energy efficiency and sobriety. Here are some examples of businesses, citizens and municipalities that are setting the tone and influencing their compatriots. Can they also inspire us, in Quebec and Canada, when our electricity needs are set to increase?
It is with enthusiasm that Leopold von Bismarck opens the We Do Solar application on his phone every week. “It tells me how much energy I’ve saved with my solar panels and what that means in terms of CO emissions2. It gives me a very precious feeling of satisfaction, ”says the man on paternity leave, from his parents’ spacious and refined Berlin living room.
Meanwhile, the refrigerator, router and several household appliances run on energy generated from the small balcony overlooking a large interior courtyard. A few steps away, young families stroll from kiosk to kiosk in the ephemeral market of this upscale neighborhood.
Mr. von Bismark had been thinking for years about contributing to the energy transition not only by reducing his consumption, but also by producing his own green energy. For city dwellers, one of the only options, quite recent, is to put solar panels on their balcony. After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the Berliner decided to act. He chose the We Do Solar company and received his eight thin panels in boxes outside his door.
Delighted with his experience, Mr. von Bismarck agreed to discuss it with The duty following a call to customers by company co-founder Karolina Attspodina. This Ukrainian, who has lived in Berlin for a dozen years, points out that demand for her products, sold all over Europe, but especially in Germany, has increased by 70% since the end of February 2022. The wait for s to get it is about six months.
“On the one hand, it’s horrible what’s happening in Ukraine and I hope it will end soon,” said the polyglot, most of whose family still lives in kyiv. But on the other hand, it almost woke people up. It is important to be independent from the aggressor countries which have the power to control our lives. »
More and more Germans seem to want to take their energy destiny into their own hands. The amount of solar panels installed in the country has been steadily increasing for at least a dozen years. About 2.65 million photovoltaic systems were in use at the end of 2022, according to the Federal Solar Energy Association, including 70,000 on balconies. A fifth of property owners with a suitable roof intend to install one in 2023, according to a survey by this organization.
An affordable solution
In founding We Do Solar about two years ago, Mr.me Attspodina aimed to offer solutions so that all citizens, even those living in apartments, could participate individually in this movement. It started with the baluster balcony solar panel. She and her partner designed a unique product based on existing technologies. This is then manufactured in China, which dominates this market.
“We use monocrystalline panels, which are flexible due to the silicone inside. In addition, they are made of small plates laid on top of each other, which makes it possible to bend the panels. They can take the shape of the outline of a round balcony, for example,” explains the businesswoman with the determined blue gaze.
As his own home is poorly oriented to capture the sun’s rays, Leopold von Bismarck offered his new toys to his parents, who live at 4e floor of the same building. There, the sun beats down for several hours a day.
“I installed them myself, very easily. They are lightweight, about one kilogram. They are discreet, but they allow you to hide the view of your room from the neighbors, ”reports in impeccable English this graduate in industrial engineering, who studied a few months in Ottawa in the past.
They are also very simple to use, he explains. The panels are connected to an inverter, a device that transforms the energy from the solar panel into alternating electric current. This is then connected to a wire that can be plugged into the ordinary household electrical outlet to power various electrical devices.
“As solar energy is more powerful than that of the network, the devices first take the energy that comes from the panels”, underlines the young man with short brown hair.
A long-term investment
Mr. von Bismarck does not know how much he will save per year, since his electricity is billed annually. But the cost of electricity being almost eight times higher in Germany than in Quebec, if we rely on the data for the first half of 2022, the amount can climb quickly. According to his forecasts, he should repay his initial investment of 1099 euros in more or less five years.
Recently, subsidies from the German government to encourage solar production have enabled households to lower the cost of acquiring the system, which has a lifespan of more than 25 years, to 600 euros, assures Ms.me Attspodina. In addition, a large proportion of its customers own electric vehicles. “If you have such a car, you receive a CO certificate every year.2 which has a market value. We provide you with our panels free of charge in exchange for your certificate, which we resell to oil companies who are obliged to buy them”, explains the ingenious entrepreneur.
Companies also offer We Do Solar panels to their employees, for rental, as a social benefit. “Employees can thus reduce their energy bills, and the company obtains carbon credits which allow it to reach its objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, specifies Ms.me Attspodina.
She and her partner are working on developing panels that can be installed in different places, including cement or glass windows and balconies. They also plan to improve their smartphone application to help users use their energy more efficiently, for example by providing weather information so that they can do a “load of washing” at strategic times.
The North American market is already in their sights. However, it will be necessary to modify the voltage and the electrical outlet so that the system can work there, as well as obtain authorizations related to security. “Canadians have already wanted to buy some here to take home. But we can’t do that! » warns M.me Attspodina.
The latter expects other companies around the world to market similar products. And it’s far from bothering her. There are a lot of needs and room in this market of the future.
This report was financed thanks to the support of the Transat International Journalism Fund.The duty.