Renewable energy delivered a record 44% of the electricity consumed in Germany in the first half of 2019, up from 39% in the same period last year, new data shows.
Preliminary analysis by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW) shows onshore wind provided 55.8 terrawatt-hours, up from 47.3TWh in first six months of last year.
Output from offshore wind grew to 12.0TWh, from 9.2TWh, while solar supplied 24.0TWh, compared with 23.0TWh in the previous year.
Other sources, such as hydro and biomass, delivered 36.6TWh, down slightly on the 37.2TWh supplied in 2018.
ZSW and BDEW said good weather conditions helped boost renewables output in the period, with wind yields above long-term average values and March being a record month for wind.
BDEW chief executive Stefan Kapferer said the figures were a “pleasing snapshot”, but “should not obscure the underlying structural problems in the German renewables market”.
He said currently the country is on a trajectory to have only a 54% share of renewables by 2030, below the government’s 65% goal.
In order to meet the target, he said restrictions to the development of solar and onshore wind need to be removed and offshore wind and solar developments need to be expanded.