The Photovoltaic Support Scheme in Germany : An Environmental Criteria Assessment of the EEG Feed-In Tariffs

Intro -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Approaching the Issue -- 1.2 Methodology -- 1.3 Structure of the Study -- 2 Supporting Photovoltaics - The Case of the German EEG -- 2.1 General Promotion Possibilities of Renewable Electricity Generation -- 2.1.1 Rationale of Promoting Renewables -- 2.1.2 Policy Options -- 2.1.3 Quota Obligations -- 2.1.4 Feed-in Tariffs -- 2.2 Development and Vertices of the EEG's PV Support -- 2.2.1 Development towards the EEG -- 2.2.2 Vertices and Progress of the EEG's FIT Scheme -- 2.2.3 Goal Development -- 2.3 Reasoning behind the EEG's PV FIT scheme -- 2.4 Effects and Induced Costs -- 2.5 Interim Conclusion -- 3 Development of Environmental Assessment Indicators -- 3.1 Criteria and Indicators for the Analysis -- 3.2 Vertices of the conducted LCA Study -- 3.3 Update of Indicator Results -- 3.3.1 Energy Payback Time -- 3.3.2 Carbon Footprint -- 3.3.3 Space Requirements -- 3.4 Sensitivity Analysis -- 3.4.1 Crystalline SiliconWafers -- 3.4.2 Reconsideration of Building Integration -- 3.4.3 Electricity from Renewables at Production Sites -- 3.4.4 Lifetime and Location -- 3.5 Comparative Literature Review -- 4 Environmental Performance of the EEG Feed-in Tariffs for Photovoltaics -- 4.1 Normalization of Indicator Results -- 4.2 Determination of a Base for Comparison -- 4.2.1 Assumptions for the Subsequent Analysis -- 4.2.2 Determination of Reference FITs -- 4.3 Climate Protection and Primary Resource Consumption -- 4.4 Space Requirements -- 5 Discussion of Results -- 5.1 Result Preparation for Decision Making -- 5.2 Effects on the Policy Design -- 5.2.1 FIT Scheme -- 5.2.2 Other Support Policy Options -- 5.2.3 Interaction Policies -- 6 Conclusions and Prospect.