In the first half of the year, slightly less electricity was generated from renewable energies in Germany – despite numerous new plants. Nevertheless, the share of gross electricity has increased.
Despite the commissioning of numerous new photovoltaic and wind energy systems, slightly less electricity was generated from renewable energies in Germany in the first half of the year than in the same period of the previous year. According to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), production amounted to almost 136 terawatt hours (TWh) – a drop of around one percent compared to the same period last year.
Worse weather conditions than in the previous year would have caused slight declines in both solar energy and wind power production. Even the newly built facilities could not fully compensate for these declines, as reported by the authority.
share on gross electricity consumption increases
However, because there was significantly less electricity demand in Germany from January to June, the share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption nevertheless increased.
According to initial estimates by the Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics (AGEE-Stat), the share was 52 percent in the first six months. For comparison: in the first half of 2022, the proportion was still 49 percent. In 2022 as a whole, the corresponding figure was 46 percent.
Growth in renewable energy is not sufficient
“It is a success that today more than half of the electricity consumption in Germany can be covered by sun, wind and the like,” emphasized the Federal Environment Agency. At the same time, however, the figures show that the expansion of renewable energies must be further accelerated, especially in view of the necessary electrification of heat supply and transport. The current increase in systems is not yet sufficient.
In the entire first half of 2023, wind power generation accounted for the largest share of renewable electricity generation at 51 percent. Photovoltaics followed with 23 percent, followed by biomass power generation with around 18 percent and hydropower with eight percent of the renewable electricity.