- The rise in electricity production from solar energy systems is accelerating
Yearly solar power intake has been on a steady climb in Rhineland-Palatinate. As per the Ministry of Energy's response to a Green Party inquiry in Mainz, solar energy generation in the region reached a staggering 2.63 Terawatt-hours in 2022. Back in 2011, this figure was merely 0.9 Terawatt-hours. The most recent data unfortunately, hasn't been updated.
Over the period from 2011 to mid-2022, a total of 678 standalone solar farms, boasting a cumulative capacity of 1,147 Megawatts, were brought online. Similarly, during this period, there were 168,462 solar installations on rooftops, buildings, and facades, totaling a capacity of 2,674 Megawatts, as per the ministry's report, relying on data from the Federal Network Agency.
At the end of last year, Rhineland-Palatinate made a move to implement a solar mandate for newly constructed buildings or major roof renovations of state and municipal-owned structures. This initiative aims to assist in meeting the solar expansion goals set by the traffic light coalition government.
The Ministry's report mentions that solar panels are primarily manufactured using materials from various categories, excluding the product itself. It's worth noting that the production process of these solar installations contributes to the region's overall industrial activity.
