Why Renewable Energy

Our planet is increasingly challenged on multiple levels:  depletion of natural resources, increasing emissions of CO2, climate change, population growth, emerging nations wanting higher standards of living, political unrest, failing states, rampant hunger in more and more countries.   And with the population growth comes the need for energy to power the homes, the cars, the boats, the planes, the appliances and devices that characterize modern, civilized living. 

While fossil fuels are in finite supply, solar energy is boundless – and free.  Enough solar energy falls on the earth in one hour to supply all of the planet’s energy needs for one full year.  And converting that energy to electricity is done today with solar, photovoltaic modules made from another virtually endless resource – sand.  Additionally, wind power is a dynamic and powerful source of energy that often balances the intermittency of solar power. Some definitions:

Renewable Energy:           Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural resources.

Sustainable:                       Sustainable simply means it cannot be used up or depleted like oil, coal & gas

Socially Responsible:       Means that it benefits society and/or is in the best interests of the environment

In an effort to support the growth of renewable energy solutions and to decrease its dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power, Germany initiated in the 1990’s a program to compensate independent energy producers for electricity produced. Compensation was guaranteed for 20 years under a so-called feed-in-tariff (FiT) program.

Germany’s program decreased the country’s dependence on foreign oil, and, at the same time, created a new industry with thousands of jobs added and millions of Euros in new tax revenue.  At the same time it created an attractive investment environment giving investors a 20-year window on future returns.  Investors annually invest millions of Euros into the acquisition of long-term, solar and wind assets in Europe.  The reasons?  Attractive returns on investment, safety, longevity, availability, sustainability.  The FiT concept pioneered by Germany quickly spread to dozens of other countries.