Friday 27 September 2024

‘Cost of renewables is slowing the energy transition’

Research by opinion research institute Civey, on behalf of E.ON, found that more than two thirds of Germans (72 per cent), out of the 2,500 surveyed, believe that the rising costs of renewables is jeopardising acceptance of the energy transition.

This concern is most pronounced in Thuringia (78 per cent), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (77 per cent), Saxony-Anhalt (76 per cent) and Saarland (75 per cent).

The study also makes it clear that citizens would continue to install solar systems regardless of the current form of subsidisation.

Half (51 per cent) of homeowners in Germany who do not yet have a PV system would decide against installing their own PV system if state subsidies were to be abolished.

Lars Rosumek, Head of Corporate Communications & Policy at the E.ON Group said: 'Our study confirms this: People's perception of costs is crucial for the acceptance of the energy transition as a whole. Germany must therefore change the way it subsidises the energy transition. Now is the right time to reduce state subsidies where they are no longer needed. And that applies above all to solar installations.'