Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

Donate

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2023 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Climate Crisis

Germany’s Solar PV capacity, at 59 Gigs, overtakes its Onshore Wind, as it aims to triple Both

Clean Energy Wire 02/05/2022

Tweet24
Share342
Reddit
Email
366 Shares

By Jessica Bateman and Benjamin Wehrmann | –

( Clean Energy Wire ) – The total solar PV capacity in Germany has reached 59 gigawatts (GW) in 2021, overtaking the installed onshore wind power capacity in the country, according to the pv magazine. The cumulative installed wind power capacity reached slightly more than 56 GW following several years of low growth due to licensing difficulties and projects being held up in court, meaning wind power capacity fell behind solar for the first time since 2015.

By contrast, solar power expansion in the country appears to have regained its steam: The demand for rooftop photovoltaics in particular has been a driver of growth last year, and the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) confirmed that just under 3.8 GW out of a total solar PV expansion of more than 5.2 GW were installed outside of the tendering process.

Article continues after bonus IC video
SUNWARE Solar Panels, made in German

Last week, newspaper Die Welt reported that the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, one of the national champions in terms of wind power production, connected more solar power than onshore wind capacity to the grid for the first time in 2021. A total of 176 megawatt peak (MWp) were registered last year, compared to only 139 MWp of wind power capacity, according to grid operator SH Netz.

Company head Matthias Boxberger said solar capacity growth had increased fivefold, while wind power expansion only recovered slightly. He said he expects the state to double its total renewables capacity to 19 GW by 2035 and called for faster licensing procedures for renewable power installations and transmission grid infrastructure to facilitate the buildout.

The new coalition of the Greens, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democrats (FDP) plans to bring the share of renewables in power consumption to 80 percent by 2030. In 2021, it stood at about 42 percent.

With a set of immediate measures, Germany’s new economy and climate minister Robert Habeck wants to kickstart a new wave of renewables expansion and aims to triple growth figures for both wind and solar power.

pv magazine / Die Welt

Via Clean Energy Wire

Filed Under: Climate Crisis, Germany, Solar Energy, wind energy

About the Author

Clean Energy Wire produces and facilitates top-quality journalism about the energy transition in Germany and beyond, and fosters cross-border cooperation among reporters covering the move towards a climate-friendly society.

Primary Sidebar

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter and have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.

Twitter

Follow Juan Cole @jricole or Informed Comment @infcomment on Twitter

Facebook



Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2023 All Rights Reserved

Posting....