Earth Equity News

Feed-In Tariffs and Community Ownership for Renewable Energy. By Ben Crystal, NewScientist, September 15, 2009. "Since Germany introduced feed-in tariffs in 1990, the proportion of electricity it generates from renewable sources has grown from less than 3% to about 15% in 2008. By comparison, the UK, which tried to boost renewable energy through an alternative 'green certificate' scheme, generated just 5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2008. Other countries are now trying to emulate Germany's success. To date, 21 European countries have introduced some form of feed-in tariff, and this year the UK, South Africa and the Canadian province of Ontario announced plans to implement similar schemes… Even with guaranteed prices, though, the initial investment in the generating equipment -- a photovoltaic panel, say, or a small wind generator - puts the technology beyond the budget of most households. Fortunately there are other ways for people to take advantage of feed-in tariffs. More than 350,000 households in Germany hold shares in wind turbines, and almost all wind farms in Denmark are community owned. By providing people living close to the generators with extra income, community-owned renewable power schemes can also help overcome local opposition to what people might otherwise see as intrusive wind turbines."