Photo Gallery The Trouble with Wind
When the renewables boom in Germany got underway 10 years ago, investors were promised huge returns of up to 20 percent. It hasn't turned out that way.
Last Thursday, wind-farm company Prokon declared insolvency, leading to an uncertain future for its investors. One reason for the company's troubles is that investors had began withdrawing their money because they hadn't received the returns they had been promised. Pictured here is company head Carsten Rodbertus (right) with an insolvency trustee.
There are many reasons why wind parks haven't proven as profitable as it was thought they would be. One is that the technology was still young in the 2000s when many of the windparks were erected. There were lots of problems and repairs are complicated and expensive.
Wind parks can still be profitable, but as a rule it is only the ones that are located in the best sites that have managed to make it worthwhile for investors.
Another problem that has beset many windparks is that forecasts for the amount of energy they would produce have proven inaccurate. Even a 10 percent miscalculation regarding average wind speeds can mean 30 percent less energy produced.
Graphic: Investors were promised high returns. But the reality has been different.
