In the first half of 2019, the share of sun, wind and other renewable sources in the coverage of electricity consumption in Germany reached the 44% for the first time, while, in the first half of 2018, the share of renewables in electricity consumption was 39%.
This is the result of preliminary calculations by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW).
At 55.8 billion kilowatt hours (billion kWh), onshore wind power was again the largest producer of green electricity with 18% growth.
The highest growth rate was achieved offshore with 30% to 12 billion kWh- compared to 9.2 billion kWh in first half of 2018.
The high proportion of renewables in the first half of 2019 is also attributable to exceptional weather conditions.
March recorded a wind record, but in the remaining months, wind yields were consistently above the long-term average values.
Regarding these figures, Stefan Kapferer, CEO of BDEW, said that the German government has to remove obstacles in order to achieve the 65% target, that is necessary for climate protection.
These include the area restrictions for photovoltaic and wind power plants on land and the expansion covers for wind offshore and photovoltaics outside the tendering regime,
…he explained.
We urgently need greater expansion of renewable energies and more energy efficiency in all sectors in order to achieve the 2030 climate protection target. For this we should adapt the political framework. A CO2-related surcharge on fossil energy prices, which is returned to consumers by other means, is eligible. If social hardships are cushioned, it can be assumed that appropriate measures for more climate protection are supported by the population,
…added Prof. Dr. Frithjof Staiß, Managing Director of the ZSW.
