Much less new wind power plants: solar expansion is on the rise

Düsseldorf –

The expansion of wind energy has clearly lost momentum in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the first eight months, only 91 wind farms totaling 285 megawatts have been connected to the NRW grid, as the regional renewable energy badociation (LEE) said in a preliminary badessment. In 2017 alone, 114 wind turbines with a power of 314 megawatts were already in the first half.

The badociation attributes more stringent wind energy requirements to black and yellow state governments, including a minimum distance of 1,500 meters from residential areas. In the case of solar energy, on the other hand, the development was "satisfactory" from the point of view of the badociation: the lower costs of photovoltaic systems allowed the owners of single-family houses to sell their own electricity. The EEA expects NRW to be present throughout the country by 2018 with many more new solar systems and an additional power of more than 200 megawatts. (DPA / lnw)