A country with little sunlight breaks solar energy record!
Germany, a country with little sunlight, broke a renewable energy record. With the electricity generated, it achieved a historic milestone in 2024.
“We used to say, ‘Countries in northern Europe don’t know the sun as well as we do,’ but then this news came out. Germany made a strong start to 2024 by setting a historic record in renewable energy production. So how did this country, where the sun often hides behind clouds, achieve such success? Here are the details…
Germany, a country with little sunlight, broke a renewable energy record.
In the first quarter of 2024, Germany sourced 58.4% of its electricity production from renewable sources. Yes, more than half of the electricity came from renewable sources. This is the highest rate recorded since 2018 and truly impressive.
Germany generated a total of 121.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from renewable energy sources. This represents an 11.6% increase compared to the previous year. On the other hand, fossil fuel-based energy production decreased by 25.4%, making up only 41.6% of the total electricity production. Clearly, the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end.
Wind energy also played a significant role in Germany’s electricity production. With a 12% increase compared to last year, wind energy produced an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 38.5% of the country’s total electricity production. Solar energy also made a substantial contribution. It increased by 21%, producing 1.4 billion kilowatt-hours of energy and covering 6.6% of the total production. As the sun shone, Germany’s energy reserves filled up.”
Germany is also ambitious with its climate targets. The country aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. Furthermore, it plans to cut emissions by 88% by 2040 and achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
However, more action is needed in the transportation and building sectors, as they missed their 2023 targets. This means there is still work to be done, but Germany is definitely on the right track. Recently, there have been significant incentives for renewable energy in Germany. Solutions are being offered for improving energy efficiency at home or for installing solar energy and battery storage systems. People are even installing solar panel systems on their balconies.
