Renewable energy sources have played a dominant role in Germany's electricity consumption for the majority of this year, accounting for more than 50%, according to calculations by the utility association BDEW and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW). Over the period from January to September, the share of renewables in the electricity mix surged to approximately 52%, marking a notable increase of nearly five percentage points compared to the same timeframe in the previous year.
Notably, the months between March and September consistently recorded a renewable energy share of 50% or more each month. May and July stood out with particularly robust performances, boasting renewable energy shares of 57% and 59%, respectively. A decline in Germany's overall power consumption played a role in elevating the proportion of renewables in the energy mix, as reported by BDEW and ZSW.
However, it's crucial to underscore that renewable energy generation also witnessed a substantial absolute increase, growing by nearly 4% to reach 199 billion kWh in the first three quarters of this year. In June, electricity generation from photovoltaic sources achieved a new monthly record of 9.8 billion kWh, reflecting an impressive rise of more than 16% compared to the same month in the prior year.
Kerstin Andreae, Head of BDEW, expressed the importance of these figures, stating, “These figures encourage us to tackle the next milestones. In particular, obstacles to the expansion of wind energy must be removed.” Andreae emphasized the urgent need for Germany to install hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants to ensure a stable power supply during periods of low wind and sunshine.
Germany has set an ambitious target of achieving 80% renewable power in its electricity mix by 2030, with wind energy considered a pivotal source. The ongoing electrification of sectors that have traditionally relied on alternative energy sources, particularly heating and transportation, is expected to drive increased demand for electricity in the coming years while reducing fossil fuel consumption. Despite recent advancements in solar power deployment, the expansion of wind power in Germany remains a challenge.
