Expansion of renewable energies picks up speed

Achieving the climate targets will remain a Herculean task in the coming years. However, there are parameters that are demonstrably moving in the right direction. For example, the expansion of renewable energies. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Freiburg, Germany) recently put the current figures into context:

• Renewable energies accounted for 59.7 percent of net public electricity generation in Germany in 2023 – a record result.
• Solar and wind energy in particular set new records last year: At around 139.8 terawatt hours, wind power production was 14.1% higher than in the previous year. Photovoltaics also has grown significantly: At around 14 gigawatts, the expansion was in double figures for the first time and exceeded the German government’s statutory climate protection goal. In contrast, energy generation from lignite (-27%) and hard coal (-35%) fell significantly.
• Together, solar and wind energy currently contribute around 75 percent of all renewable electricity.

A positive development – one that we are particularly pleased about because we are actively contributing to it by planning and designing photovoltaic production facilities!

Sources: Fraunhofer ISE, Federal Environment Agency

Published: February 2024