Renewables cover half of Germany’s electricity demand in first quarter of 2023

Renewable energy covered about half of electricity consumption in Germany during the first three months of 2023, according to preliminary calculations by energy industry association BDEW and the centre for solar research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW).

In total, around 138 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) were consumed – roughly a six percent drop compared to the first quarter of the year before – of which around 69 billion kWh came from renewable sources.

The largest renewable electricity source was onshore wind (38 billion kWh), followed by biomass (11 billion kWh), solar PV (8 billion kWh), offshore wind (7 billion kWh) and hydropower (4 billion kWh).

“Regardless of whether it is for the energy transition, the heat transition, the transport transition or the hydrogen ramp-up: in order to achieve the climate targets, we need much more green electricity than we have today,” said BDEW head Kerstin Andreae.

The government has presented a wealth of amendments to existing laws and funding schemes – mainly geared towards boosting the country’s renewable capacity, especially onshore wind – but also to accelerate grid planning and the development of offshore wind connections, and to make the building stock more efficient.

Germany aims to cover 80 percent of power demand with renewables by 2030 and a climate neutral supply once the coal exit is finalised.

First published by Clean Energy Wire. Reproduced with permission.