Solar Power
In 2000 Germany passed legislation that that would put solar power on 100,000 roofs throughout the Country through a series of grants and low interest loans. To accompany this plan the German Government mandated that the power companies buy the excess power from the building owners who accepted the low interest loans at 7 times the cost of energy for ten years, thus providing an income equal to the loan payments to the building owners. Basically this enables building owners to install solar power for free on their buildings. The power companies pay more for electricity than they would to generate it but they save on expanding capacity and plant maintenance. The Power Companies were going to build more Nuclear power plants to meet the increase in demand, but with the program demand was cut and the additional nuclear plant was not needed so the power companies did not need the capital intensive investment in a new plant. Everyone benefited from the German Plan. The Building owners were a...