The renewable energy sector in Germany continues to flourish, as electricity generated from wind, solar, biomass and hydropower represents about 56% of total electricity consumption in the first three quarters of the year.
This represents a 52% increase on the same period last year, according to forecasts by the Solar and Hydrogen Research Center in Baden-WĂĽrttemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), which were made available to DBA on Tuesday.
According to calculations, renewable energy sources will consistently cover more than half of the country’s monthly electricity consumption in 2024, with rates ranging between 53% and 59%.
Solar energy has seen significant growth, with about 65 billion kilowatt-hours generated, a 15% increase over the same time frame in 2023.
Electricity production from fossil fuels, specifically coal and natural gas, decreased by 10.5%, reaching a total of 149 billion kilowatt-hours.
Overall, total electricity generation from renewable sources rose by 8.3%, according to estimates, to reach 217 billion kilowatt-hours.
“The fact that more than half a kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed in Germany is now continuously renewable shows that we are on the right track,” said Kerstin Andrea, Chair of the Executive Board of BDEW.
Andrea stressed the importance of developing storage facilities and expanding the network to take full advantage of green electricity.
“Electricity generation from wind and sun is not constant. We need safe energy for times when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.”
