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Germany: PV contribution increases 47 percent YoY

According to the latest statistics, photovoltaic contribution to Germany’s electricity needs has grown 47 percent in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, to date, 2012 has been a record year for renewable energy in the country.

Photovoltaics’ contribution has grown from 3.6 percent in 2011 to 5.3 percent in 2012.

Gehrlicher Solar

Initial estimates by the Federal Association of Energy and Water (BDEW), or Bundesverbandes der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft, reveal that renewable energies covered 67.9 billion kWh, or a quarter of Germany’s electricity needs in the first six months of 2012, compared to 56.4 billion kWh in 2011, or 21 percent. As such, their contribution has exceeded the 25 percent mark, for the first time.

The association goes on to say that with a share of 9.2 percent (2011: 7.7 percent), wind energy is still the most important renewable energy in Germany, followed by biomass with a share of 5.7 percent (2011: 5.3 percent). Having increased 47 percent from the first six months of 2011, photovoltaics’ contribution has grown from 3.6 to 5.3 percent. Meanwhile, representing no increase on last year, the share of renewable electricity from waste incineration plants and other renewable energies remained at 0.9 percent.

On July 5, Germany’s photovoltaic industry association, BSW Solar reported that in the first half of the year, around 14.7 billion kWh of electricity were said to have been produced from 1.2 million photovoltaic systems. It added that the figures represent growth of 50 percent on the same period in 2011. "Thus photovoltaics develops itself as the driver of energy change in Germany," stated CEO Carsten Körnig at the time. Meanwhile, in May, it was found that photovoltaics accounted for around ten percent of Germany’s energy supply, according to the BDEW.

Overall, the BDEW says Germany’s power consumption has decreased in the same period. Down 1.4 percent on the previous year, power consumption stood at 261.5 billion kWh. This has been attributed to the lower production in the electricity intensive industries of iron and steel generation, base chemicals and paper.