In the first quarter of 2024, Germany was able to 56 % of the power requirement of the country by Renewable energies were covered. This was the result of preliminary calculations by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). With a total generation of 75.9 terawatt hours (TWh), an increase of around nine percent was recorded compared to the same period in the previous year. Only the remaining 60.1 TWh were generated from conventional energy sources.
75.9 TWh from renewable energies in the first quarter of 2024
The various renewable energy sources contributed differently to electricity generation. Naturally, wind, hydropower and biomass dominated in the months of January, February and March. Here are the figures for the first quarter of 2024:
Wind powerWith 39.4 TWh delivered the On-shore wind powert makes the largest contribution to renewable electricity generation and the Off-shore wind farms additionally produced 8.7 TWh.
BiomassWith 12.8 TWh biomass also made a significant contribution to covering electricity demand.
SolarThe photovoltaic systems generated 9.6 TWh and play an increasingly important role in supplying energy during the dark months.
Hydropower: With 5.3 TWh hydropower also made a significant contribution to electricity generation due to the abundantly filled reservoirs and storage facilities.
Expansion increased by 18 percent in 2024
The expansion of wind and solar power plants in the first quarter of 2024 is particularly noteworthy. With a total increase of 4,400 megawatts, installed capacity rose by a total of 18 % compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The expansion of solar power amounted to 3,731 megawattswhile the wind turbines around 718 megawatts were expanded. Nevertheless, the expansion target for wind power was missed by 2.8 GWh. On the other hand, the expansion of photovoltaics is an impressive 7.9 GWh above plan.
The latest figures on electricity generation from renewable energies in the first quarter of 2024 in Germany show encouraging progress towards a sustainable energy supply. Particularly encouraging is the strong Growth in photovoltaicsbut other renewable energies such as wind, hydropower and biomass have also contributed to increasing the share of renewable energies in electricity consumption. The accelerated approval procedure through the Solar package I for Wind turbines and Solar parks will drive forward the continuous expansion and further reduce dependence on fossil fuels. However, the urgently needed infrastructure planning and implementation is still a particular challenge that must now be worked on at full speed.
Nevertheless, current developments show that Germany is on the right track to achieving its ambitious targets in the field of renewable energies. With further efforts and consistent implementation of measures, the challenges can be overcome and a sustainable energy future can be realized.