Germany's biggest solar park inaugurated

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Solar panels are linned up facing the sun at the solar park in the eastern German city of Lieberose. Germany's largest solar park, and the world's second biggest, was inaugurated on the site of a former Soviet military training ground in the east of the country.

Germany's largest solar park, and the world's second biggest, was inaugurated on Thursday on the site of a former Soviet military training ground in the east of the country.

The Lieberose park south of Berlin covers 162 hectares (400 acres), the equivalent of more than 210 football pitches, and is due to be fully operational later this year, organisers said.

German companies have been at the forefront of solar technology although this year they have begun to suffer heavily at the hands of Asian competitors, particularly from China, who can produce much more cheaply.

Germany is counting on renewable energies like solar and wind to meet its international commitments on reducing carbon emissions and to enable it to stop using nuclear power by 2020.

The amount of power produced at Lieberose shows the scale of the challenge -- it will produce enough for 15,000 homes, compared to the 6.5 million households supplied by the Biblis nuclear plant in western Germany.

The world's largest solar park is in Spain.

(c) 2009 AFP

   

• 3432682 - Aug 21, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
  What is the cost? Hard to believe it makes any sense, especially in Germany. How many jobs were lost because of the damaging economic effects of wasting money, more taxes, more borrowing? Why does a science web site glorify such stupidity?
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• El_Nose - Aug 21, 2009
  • Rank: 3 / 5 (1)
  they wish to be free of the nuclear option. In a country that possibly has limited disposal options I can understand the need to find another energy source. And any money put into solar lowers the cost so its a win for the rest of the world.
  
  But it is a bit unpractical. 400 acres for 15k homes == 173333 acres for 6.5 M homes. Might be a better option for germany to go nuclear completely and build an extra plant sell the energy to pay for the waste disposal.
  
  who knows whats best.?. if we did there would be no debate.
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• david_42 - Aug 21, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
  Photovoltaic makes little sense for large-scale power plants. Solar thermal systems are less expensive to build and more than twice as efficient. They can also be constructed with thermal storage to even out production peaks. PV has its place in the general scheme, but it is a waste of money and space in this application.
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