Germany and Renewables

Here’s another good piece from Business Week on Germany’s Renewable Energy efforts:
The Wind at Germany’s Back : Cutting-edge tech and government incentives have made it a world-beater in renewable energy.

Some excerpts:

* Wind power is “quietly generating some 7% of the nation’s electricity needs—and powering an important new industry.”

* “The sector—both energy suppliers and equipment manufacturers—employs more than 235,000 people and generates annual sales upwards of $33 billion, government figures show. Nearly 60 companies in Germany specialize in wind systems.”

* “Nearly 100 companies manufacture solar cells or supply the sector, with more than half of those in the old East Germany, which has earned the nickname Solar Valley. One of the stars, 9-year-old Q-Cells, is second only to Japan’s Sharp in producing solar cells.”

We talked with Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower last year about how big a force Germany has been in the solar sector. The Wind energy advances are also spectacular.