Expansion of renewable energies Impacts within an integrated socio-economic and ecological overview analysis

With the "Energiewende" Germany is on the way towards a fundamental transformation of the energy sytem with the future focus on renewable energies. Especially the substitution of fossil fuels - as source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - can be seen as main driver within the debate. With the goal to reduce GHG emissions, progress in this area is well captured in investigations and projects. But there are further ecological, economic and social impacts to take into consideration and to get a more holistic picture of the impacts of the German energy system transformation and the economy as a whole. Through the increasing expansion of renewable energies the need for such integrated overall analysis became more urgent, also to be able to guide and adjust the whole process when it is needed.