Analysis: Is the coalition agreement of the so-called traffic-light coalition a good start into the renewable energy system?

The RLS presents a short analysis of the coalition agreement by the team of the RLS graduate school, who have examined to what extent the goals of the new federal government are compatible with the claim to shape a renewable energy system. The RLS analysis compares the positions outlined in the government roadmap with eleven previously identified points that are considered important for setting the course.

Conclusion: In many respects, the government programme sets the right course for the transformation of the energy system. Some of the objectives stated, however, are still too vague.

Twenty-five columns on the energy system transition

What does energy system transition actually mean? Authors from the Reiner Lemoine Foundation network have addressed this question from various perspectives.

By considering topics ranging from the expansion of wind energy to the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, to the nuclear phase-out, and to the climate issue, a concept for the move towards a renewable energy system emerges.

All articles previously appeared in the online edition of the specialist magazine "Erneuerbare Energien" and were published as a collection on the occasion of the Foundation's 15th anniversary.

Impulse: Unleashing the potential of decentralised supply

"Unleashing the potential of decentralised supply and embedding subsidiarity as the new basic principle of the energy system" - this formula sums up an essential part of the solution for the future decarbonisation of the energy system.

This is the view of the authors of a joint impulse paper based on their respective preliminary work and practical experience. The paper is a proposal by Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Henning (Director at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and other posts), Dr. Tim Meyer (Member of the Board of NATURSTROM AG) and Fabian Zuber (Project Manager at the Reiner Lemoine Foundation) to focus on unleashing business models for decentralised supply from the next legislative period.

Ideas for institutional transformation

But what does the energy transition mean for energy policy institutions? The Reiner Lemoine Foundation has initiated an exchange on this question among experts. The resulting statements should be understood as a basis for an important debate in the context of the energy system transition.

The core thesis of this paper is that a change in the institutions is a crucial building block for the energy system transition.
The paper examines the current status quo with regard to five theses on core aspects of the need for institutional reform, making concrete proposals for further development in each case.

Setting the course for the move towards the renewable energy system

It is time for a new energy policy project. The energy system transition needs to be set on the right course to succeed. The 2021 parliamentary elections were an opportunity for an energy policy restart. That is the thesis proposed in the RLS graduate school's impulse paper

In it, the authors have taken a closer look at the issues flexibility, storage technologies, social participation and renewable mobility. Based on the requirements that arise in these areas from the target model of a renewable energy system, they have identified eleven points to be placed at the top of the political agenda.

PV think tank: More than 10 gigawatts of photovoltaics per year

More than 10 gigawatts of photovoltaics per year - how can we achieve such an expansion in Germany? And what measures by the German government would be required? The PV Think Tank regularly discussed these questions in 2020 and 2021. The result is an impulse paper with 50 recommendations for action on how to unleash the PV market.

The PV Think Tank is a loose association of experts who have been working on the future of photovoltaics for ten years, in around 50 workshops to date. It is driven by the commitment of its members and receives funding from the Haleakala Foundation and the Reiner Lemoine Foundation.

New Deal for the renewable energy system

The "New Deal for the renewable energy system" is a comprehensive proposal for a new energy market design. In 12 points, the impulse paper looks at the forms that the supply, grids, trading and energy generation should take in future. It culminates in a call for a New Deal in energy policy that would break the mould of the conventional energy system and approaches the basic logic of the energy market from a future perspective.

The Reiner Lemoine Foundation is committed to shaping the energy system transition in a forward-looking way. This discussion paper describes a target vision for the renewable energy system. Based on the reflections of the Reiner Lemoine Foundation's stakeholders, it was developed in an intensive exchange with numerous, long-standing energy market experts.

Overcoming old thought patterns

The further implementation of the energy transition and the transformation of the energy system can only succeed if old thought patterns are overcome and new principles are recognised. This is the result of the think tank process, which was implemented together with the Foundation Neue Verantwortung (SNV), the 100 prozent erneuerbar foundation, the Haleakala Foundation and the Bündnis Bürgerenergie.

In interdisciplinary workshops, experts and practitioners from civil society, science, business and administration evaluated ideas and problem analyses. They identified old thought patterns, which are expressed in established structures, arguments and processes and block the energy transition. These thought patterns were contrasted with up-to-date ideas and principles.

Study on the energy system transition

What is an energy system? How do conventional and renewable energy systems differ? What conflicts characterise the current system transformation? And what would be possible solutions? On behalf of the Foundation, the Reiner Lemoine Institute has attempted to find answers to these questions.

The study shows that attempts to date to integrate renewable energies into the conventional energy system have their limits. Instead, a transformation of the entire energy system must now be pursued. This requires, not least, an energy policy that, instead of looking back, focuses on and fearlessly tackles the requirements of the renewable energy system ahead.