Half-year record
Renewable energies cover 44 % of electricity demand
According to the ZSW and BDEW, renewable energies accounted for 44% of electricity demand in Germany for the first time. Compared to the previous year, the share of green electricity thus increased by 5%.
Onshore wind power was once again the largest producer of green electricity this year with 55.8 billion kWh. Compared to the first half of 2018, wind power increased significantly by 18%. Photovoltaic systems supplied 24 billion kWh this year instead of the 23 billion kWh in 2018. At 30%, offshore wind power achieved the highest growth rate. While 9.2 billion kWh of electricity was generated in 2018, offshore plants supplied 12 billion kWh in 2019. Other renewable energies - which primarily include biomass and hydropower - generated 36.7 billion kWh.
The high proportion of renewable energy can be partly attributed to the exceptional weather conditions in recent months: March set a wind record, but wind yields in the other months were also consistently above the long-term averages.
"The green electricity record is a pleasing snapshot, but should not obscure the underlying structural problems: If we 'carry on like this', we will end up with just 54% renewables in 2030. In order to achieve the 65% target set by the German government, which is necessary for climate protection, we must remove existing obstacles. These include the land restrictions for photovoltaic and onshore wind power plants as well as the expansion caps for offshore wind and photovoltaics outside the tendering regime," explained Stefan Kapferer, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) in Berlin today.
Prof. Dr. Frithjof Staiß, Managing Director of the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), adds: "We urgently need a stronger expansion of renewable energies and more energy efficiency in all sectors in order to achieve the 2030 climate protection target. To this end, we should adapt the political framework conditions. A CO2-related surcharge on the price of fossil fuels could be considered, which would be returned to consumers in other ways. If social hardships are cushioned, it can be assumed that the population will support corresponding measures for more climate protection."
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