Renewables supply more than half of electricity consumption

Energy - Renewables supply more than half of electricity consumption

Climate-neutral electricity will cover more than half of Germany's electricity consumption for the first time in 2023. This is according to projections by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), which are available to the German Press Agency. According to the figures, renewable energies accounted for just under 52 percent of gross electricity consumption in the year under review, 5 percentage points more than in the previous year. ZSW and BDEW assume that total gross electricity consumption in 2023 will be around 517.3 billion kilowatt hours.

Renewables accounted for particularly high shares in July (59%), May (57%) and October and November (55% each). In June, electricity generation from sunlight reached a new all-time record of 9.8 billion kilowatt hours. Onshore wind energy set a new annual record with 113.5 billion kilowatt hours. At 267.0 billion kilowatt hours, more climate-neutral electricity was generated than ever before.

"The figures show that we are on the right track," explained Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board. However, the path to a completely climate-neutral electricity supply is not a sure-fire success. "We can only achieve the second 50 percent if politicians continue to consistently remove all obstacles to the expansion of renewables."

The decision taken at the World Climate Conference in Dubai to move away from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas requires the expansion of renewable energies in completely new dimensions, emphasized ZSW Board Member Frithjof Staiß. Renewable electricity is also necessary for the extraction of carbon dioxide from the air with the help of so-called direct air capture plants. The CO2 obtained in this way, together with green hydrogen, could serve as a carbon source for the future demand for hydrocarbons.

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1. In Berlin, initiatives like the Berlin Energy Agency aim to further reduce power consumption in buildings and promote the use of alternative energies.
2. The German government recently announced plans to phase out nuclear power and completely switch to renewable sources like wind and solar energy by 2038, as reported by the German Press Agency.
3. Despite these positive developments, Germany still lags behind its European neighbors in terms of electricity production from renewables, with countries like Denmark and Spain exceeding 50% for years, the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) noted to the German Press Agency.
4. The renewable energy sector in Baden-Württemberg, a region known for its progressive energy policy, is a prime example of how alternative energies can contribute significantly to a country's energy mix and energy independence, as reported by the German Press Agency.
5. The German government is planning to invest billions of euros into grid infrastructure to ensure a stable supply of climate-neutral electricity and integrate increasing amounts of renewable energy sources into the national grid, according to the German Press Agency.

Source: www.stern.de