The share of renewable energies in Germany's gross electricity consumption reached over 46 percent in 2022. This was four percentage points more than in 2021. On the one hand, this was due to favorable weather for photovoltaic and wind power plants. On the other hand, less electricity was also consumed in the shade of the energy crisis.
The increase in renewable energies can now look back on a long success story. For effective climate protection, a share of 100 % should be targeted well before 2040. To achieve this, however, the pace of deployment will have to be stepped up considerably. It will not be possible to comply with the Paris climate protection agreement with the current low rate of expansion.
The consumption sectors heat and transport are not considered here. In the course of the transformation of our energy system known as sector coupling, electricity consumption will increase in the future: Heat pumps and electromobility offer alternatives without fossil fuels. The expansion of renewables must also keep pace with this rising demand in the future.
Until the early 1990s, only one renewable source had a significant share of electricity generation in Germany: hydroelectric power. While the share of the hydroelectric power was still well over 20 percent in the middle of the 20th century, this share has declined in the past decades due to the sharp increase in consumption despite further expansion of hydroelectric power. Since the mid-1990s, wind power has gained a noticeable share of renewable generation. In 2004, it overtook hydroelectric power as the most important source of renewable energy and has been in undisputed first place ever since. In 2007, electricity generation from biomass came in second place ahead of hydroelectric power for the first time. In 2012, photovoltaics also overtook hydroelectric power, and in 2022, biomass. In 2014, renewables produced more electricity than lignite for the first time. Conventional power plants are being pushed back more and more, so that they can only maintain their generation volumes through increased exports.
The following tables and figure show the respective absolute generation of the different renewable energy sources in Germany since 1990.
Year | Hydroelectric power1,A | Onshore windA | Offshore windA |
2022 | 17,1 | 102,7 | 25,4 |
2021 | 19,7 | 90,3 | 24,4 |
2020 | 18,7 | 104,8 | 27,3 |
2019 | 20,1 | 101,2 | 24,7 |
2018 | 18,1 | 90,5 | 19,5 |
2017 | 20,2 | 88,0 | 17,7 |
2016 | 20,5 | 67,7 | 12,3 |
2015 | 19,0 | 72,3 | 8,3 |
2014 | 19,6 | 57,0 | 1,5 |
2013 | 23,0 | 51,8 | 0,9 |
2012 | 21,8 | 50,9 | 0,7 |
2011 | 17,7 | 49,3 | 0,6 |
2010 | 21,0 | 38,4 | 0,2 |
2009 | 19,0 | 39,4 | 0,0 |
2008 | 20,4 | 41,4 | 0,0 |
2007 | 21,2 | 40,5 | 0,0 |
2006 | 20,0 | 31,3 | 0,0 |
2005 | 19,6 | 27,8 | 0,0 |
2004 | 20,7 | 26,0 | 0,0 |
2003 | 18,3 | 19,1 | 0,0 |
2002 | 23,7 | 15,8 | |
2001 | 23,2 | 10,5 | |
2000 | 24,9 | 9,5 | |
1999 | 20,7 | 5,5 | |
1998 | 19,0 | 4,5 | |
1997 | 19,0 | 3,0 | |
1996 | 18,8 | 2,0 | |
1995 | 21,6 | 1,5 | |
1994 | 20,2 | 0,9 | |
1993 | 19,0 | 0,6 | |
1992 | 18,6 | 0,3 | |
1991 | 15,9 | 0,1 | |
1990 | 19,7 | n/a |
Year | Biomass2,A | PhotovoltaicsA | GeothermalA |
2022 | 49,7 | 60,7 | 0,3 |
2021 | 50,0 | 49,3 | 0,2 |
2020 | 50,9 | 49,5 | 0,2 |
2019 | 50,1 | 45,2 | 0,2 |
2018 | 50,8 | 44,3 | 0,2 |
2017 | 50,9 | 38,8 | 0,2 |
2016 | 50,9 | 37,6 | 0,2 |
2015 | 50,3 | 38,1 | 0,1 |
2014 | 48,3 | 35,4 | 0,1 |
2013 | 45,5 | 30,6 | 0,1 |
2012 | 43,2 | 26,7 | 0,0 |
2011 | 36,9 | 20,0 | 0,0 |
2010 | 33,9 | 12,0 | 0,0 |
2009 | 30,9 | 6,7 | 0,0 |
2008 | 28,0 | 4,5 | 0,0 |
2007 | 24,6 | 3,1 | 0,0 |
2006 | 18,9 | 2,3 | 0,0 |
2005 | 14,7 | 1,3 | 0,0 |
2004 | 10,6 | 0,6 | 0,0 |
2003 | 8,9 | 0,3 | 0,0 |
2002 | 6,4 | 0,2 | 0,0 |
2001 | 5,2 | 0,1 | 0,0 |
2000 | 3,4 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
1999 | 2,9 | 0,0 | |
1998 | 2,7 | 0,0 | |
1997 | 2,3 | 0,0 | |
1996 | 2,1 | 0,0 | |
1995 | 2,0 | 0,0 | |
1994 | 1,9 | 0,0 | |
1993 | 1,7 | 0,0 | |
1992 | 1,6 | 0,0 | |
1991 | 1,5 | 0,0 | |
1990 | n/a | n/a |
Year | Total renewableA | Gross consumption excl. PSE3,A | Renewables shareB |
2022 | 255,9 | 549,8 | 46,5% |
2021 | 233,9 | 565,3 | 41,4% |
2020 | 251,5 | 549,2 | 45,8% |
2019 | 241,6 | 569,6 | 42,4% |
2018 | 223,3 | 586,0 | 38,1% |
2017 | 215,7 | 593,8 | 36,3% |
2016 | 189,1 | 593,0 | 31,9% |
2015 | 188,1 | 592,8 | 31,7% |
2014 | 161,9 | 586,8 | 27,6% |
2013 | 151,9 | 599,7 | 25,3% |
2012 | 143,4 | 602,3 | 23,8% |
2011 | 124,4 | 603,3 | 20,6% |
2010 | 105,4 | 611,3 | 17,2% |
2009 | 96,1 | 577,9 | 16,6% |
2008 | 94,4 | 614,7 | 15,4% |
2007 | 89,4 | 617,2 | 14,5% |
2006 | 72,6 | 615,8 | 11,8% |
2005 | 63,4 | 611,2 | 10,4% |
2004 | 58,0 | 609,2 | 9,5% |
2003 | 46,7 | 601,0 | 7,8% |
2002 | 46,1 | 582,6 | 7,9% |
2001 | 38,9 | 580,6 | 6,7% |
2000 | 37,9 | 575,1 | 6,6% |
1999 | 29,2 | 553,3 | 5,3% |
1998 | 26,2 | 551,4 | 4,8% |
1997 | 24,2 | 545,3 | 4,4% |
1996 | 23,0 | 541,9 | 4,2% |
1995 | 25,1 | 536,2 | 4,7% |
1994 | 23,0 | 525,8 | 4,4% |
1993 | 21,2 | 523,3 | 4,1% |
1992 | 20,5 | 529,1 | 3,9% |
1991 | 17,5 | 536,0 | 3,3% |
1990 | 19,7 | 550,7 | 3,6% |
Volker Quaschning 01/2023.