Germany generated 217 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources in the first three quarters of 2024, accounting for 56% of the country's gross power consumption, according to preliminary data from the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). This represents a nearly 4 percentage point increase from the same period in 2023.
The growth is largely attributed to the expansion of solar power. During this period, Germany produced 64.7 billion kWh of photovoltaic electricity, a 15.4% rise year-on-year.
Onshore wind remained the largest contributor to the renewable energy mix, generating 79.8 billion kWh. Biomass accounted for 32.6 billion kWh, offshore wind produced 18.9 billion kWh, and hydropower contributed 17.1 billion kWh.
Meanwhile, the country's generation from conventional energy sources declined to 149 billion kWh, down from 166 billion kWh in 2023.
Kerstin Andreae, chairwoman of the BDEW executive board, welcomed the progress, noting that “more than every second kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed in Germany is now constantly renewable.”
However, she emphasized the need for faster legislative action to launch tenders for hydrogen-ready gas power plants to ensure energy security during periods of unfavorable weather conditions.
