Renewable energies are playing an increasingly important role. But the growth euphoria of recent years put a damper on the first quarter of 2021.
The share of renewable energies in covering German electricity consumption fell sharply in the first quarter of 2021. According to calculations by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW), only around 40 percent of the electricity consumed between January and March came from wind, solar and water power as well as from other sustainable sources. In the comparable period of 2020, the share of renewables in gross domestic electricity consumption was still 52 percent. Reason for the decline: In large parts of Germany there was unusually calm wind in January and February.
A total of around 58 billion kWh of electricity was generated from sun, wind and other regenerative sources in the first three months of the current year (Q1 2020: 77 kWh). A good 27 billion kWh come from onshore wind, a good 11 billion kWh from biomass, and around 7 billion kWh from offshore wind. Another 7 billion kWh come from photovoltaics, 4 billion kWh come from hydropower. Around 94 billion kWh were generated from conventional energy sources. In the same period last year it was 81 billion kWh. Total electricity consumption in Germany fell by 2021 to 2 billion kWh in the first quarter of 145. The gross electricity generation was 152 billion kWh (Q1 2020: 158 billion kWh)