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The merit-order effect: a detailed analysis of the price effect of renewable electricity generation on spot market prices in Germany

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  • Sensfuß, Frank
  • Ragwitz, Mario
  • Genoese, Massimo

Abstract

The German feed-in support of electricity generation from renewable energy sources has led to high growth rates of the supported technologies. Critics state that the costs for consumers are too high. An important aspect to be considered in the discussion is the price effect created by renewable electricity generation. This paper seeks to analyse the impact of privileged renewable electricity generation on the electricity market in Germany. The central aspect to be analysed is the impact of renewable electricity generation on spot market prices. The results generated by an agent-based simulation platform indicate that the financial volume of the price reduction is considerable. In the short run, this gives rise to a distributional effect which creates savings for the demand side by reducing generator profits. In the case of the year 2006, the volume of the merit-order effect exceeds the volume of the net support payments for renewable electricity generation which have to be paid by consumers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sensfuß, Frank & Ragwitz, Mario & Genoese, Massimo, 2007. "The merit-order effect: a detailed analysis of the price effect of renewable electricity generation on spot market prices in Germany," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S7/2007, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s72007
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    1. Bode, Sven & Groscurth, Helmuth-Michael, 2006. "Zur Wirkung des EEG auf den "Strompreis"," HWWA Discussion Papers 348, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
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    1. Abrell, Jan & Weigt, Hannes, 2008. "The Interaction of Emissions Trading and Renewable Energy Promotion," MPRA Paper 65658, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Keles, Dogan & Genoese, Massimo & Möst, Dominik & Ortlieb, Sebastian & Fichtner, Wolf, 2013. "A combined modeling approach for wind power feed-in and electricity spot prices," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 213-225.
    3. McConnell, Dylan & Forcey, Tim & Sandiford, Mike, 2015. "Estimating the value of electricity storage in an energy-only wholesale market," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 422-432.
    4. Weigt, Hannes, 2009. "Germany's wind energy: The potential for fossil capacity replacement and cost saving," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(10), pages 1857-1863, October.
    5. Canan Karatekin & Hakan elik, 2020. "The Effects of Renewable Energy Sources on the Structure of the Turkish Electricity Market," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(2), pages 64-70.
    6. Sebastian Schäfer & Lisa Schulten, 2014. "A Capacity Market to Improve the Transition towards Sustainable Electricity Generation," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201439, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    7. Jens Weinmann & J�r�me MASSIANI, 2012. "Electric cars as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: methods, results and policy implications in Germany," Working Papers 2012_21, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari", revised 2012.
    8. Panagiotis Stathopoulos & Javier Fernàndez-Villa, 2018. "On the Potential of Power Generation from Thermoelectric Generators in Gas Turbine Combustors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-21, October.
    9. Andreas Coester & Marjan Hofkes & Elissaios Papyrakis, "undated". "Cross-border Electricity Transfers in the case of differentiated Renewable Energy Sources: A Simulation Analysis for Germany and Spain," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-043/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    10. Mezősi, András & Felsmann, Balázs & Kerekes, Lajos & Szabó, László, 2020. "Coexistence of nuclear and renewables in the V4 electricity system: Friends or enemies?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    11. Thorsten Schuetze, 2013. "Integration of Photovoltaics in Buildings—Support Policies Addressing Technical and Formal Aspects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(6), pages 1-20, June.
    12. Christian Pape, 2017. "The impact of intraday markets on the market value of flexibility–Decomposing effects on profile and the imbalance costs," EWL Working Papers 1711, University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair for Management Science and Energy Economics, revised Dec 2017.
    13. Brouwer, Anne Sjoerd & van den Broek, Machteld & Seebregts, Ad & Faaij, André, 2015. "Operational flexibility and economics of power plants in future low-carbon power systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 107-128.
    14. Dillig, Marius & Jung, Manuel & Karl, Jürgen, 2016. "The impact of renewables on electricity prices in Germany – An estimation based on historic spot prices in the years 2011–2013," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 7-15.
    15. Kraan, O. & Kramer, G.J. & Nikolic, I., 2018. "Investment in the future electricity system - An agent-based modelling approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 569-580.
    16. Ignacio J. Perez-Arriaga & Carlos Batlle, 2012. "Impacts of Intermittent Renewables on Electricity Generation System Operation," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    17. Kitzing, Lena, 2014. "Risk implications of renewable support instruments: Comparative analysis of feed-in tariffs and premiums using a mean–variance approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 495-505.
    18. Dotzauer, Martin & Oehmichen, Katja & Thrän, Daniela & Weber, Christoph, 2022. "Empirical greenhouse gas assessment for flexible bioenergy in interaction with the German power sector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 1100-1109.
    19. Krozer, Yoram, 2013. "Cost and benefit of renewable energy in the European Union," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 68-73.

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