How visionaries set the energy transition in Germany in motion.
- 13 hours ago
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A book about courage, passion, and the people who brought the sun to Germany.
It began with a vision – and an unwavering belief in a better future. The book "German Solar Fairytale" tells the story of the women and men who brought solar energy from a niche market into the mainstream in Germany. It is a tribute to the pioneers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and politicians who laid the foundation for the energy transition – long before it became a political program.
The idea behind the sun fairy tale
Karl-Heinz Remmers – himself a leading voice in the solar industry for decades – has created a historical document with "German Solar Fairytale" that not only tells how the German solar energy movement originated , but also who made it possible . The stories are personal, authentic, and deeply connected to the technological, economic, and social upheavals of recent decades.
The book is not merely a chronicle of technologies or funding laws, but a story about convictions, crises, perseverance and pioneering spirit .
The heroes (and heroines) of solar energy
The work presents those personalities without whom the German solar miracle would be inconceivable – people who already believed in solar energy when it was still ridiculed:
Paul Grunow (formerly SOLON AG , Q-Cells , PI Berlin ): “PV was my answer to nuclear power.” haleakala-stiftung.de
Hans-Josef Fell (co-author of the EEG, former member of the German Bundestag): "Today, 25 years after the EEG came into force, solar energy is revolutionizing the global energy markets." hans-josef-fell.de
Dr. Winfried Hoffmann (Applied Solar Expertise – ASE): “It would be nice if politicians also understood the obvious fact that PV is currently the cheapest form of electricity generation.” AppliedSolarExpertise.de
Klaus Köln (UFE GmbH): "We've been putting electricity into the socket since 1987!" ufegmbh.de
Carsten Pfeiffer (German Association of New Energy Industries bne): "With the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), we wanted to give renewables the decisive boost – and we have succeeded." bne-online.de
Lars Podlowski (SOLON AG / SOLYCO Solar AG / SOLYCO TECC GmbH ): "Our generation has managed to advance the global energy transition in just 30 years to such an extent that no one can stop it anymore." https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solon_(Unternehmen) | solyco.com | tecc.solar
Sven Teske (University of Technology Sydney): "What took a year to install in 1996 now goes online in minutes." uts.edu.au/oecm
Helmut Jäger (Solvis GmbH): “The true heroes at Solvis were the employees and 400 limited partners who made solar heating possible in the first place.” solvis.de
Why this solar book is important
The German solar fairytale impressively demonstrates how passion, research, and political will combined to create a movement that shapes our energy system today. It reminds us that progress is rarely linear – and that major transformations often begin with small ideas, driven by people who believe in them.
Especially in times of global energy transitions, this book is an inspiring retrospective and at the same time a wake-up call for the future : because the story of solar energy is far from over – it is being written every day.
