Data / Facts

In 2018, the total electricity production from all renewable sources was about 219 TWh, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to 2017. With this, renewables contributed over 40 percent to the public net electricity generation in Germany.

Interactive graphics and the latest power production data are available at www.energy-charts.de.

To reach the German targets to reduce CO2-emissions by 80 to 95% in relation to 1990 by 2050 an increase of installed capacity of renewable energy technologies, storages as well as technologies for power-to-X applications is well accepted in research in the field of energy system analysis. However current studies all result in different system compositions, which are due to many reasons. This meta-analysis assesses the bandwidth of technologies in the year 2050, needed for the above mentioned CO2-emission reduction, and compares the values to an extrapolation of current trend of the technologies. It is the goal to identify technology aspects, which need to be adapted to reach the goals as well as show trends in technologies, which are in line with the CO2-emission reduction targets.

The German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the US  National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL, have compiled a study that describes the status of both the current market as well as the state-of-the-art for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology. This young technology has achieved tremendous progress and has the potential for delivering solar electricity at a cost-competitive level in sun-rich regions with high direct irradiation values. The study gives an overview of all installations bigger than 1 MW, also of all companies active in the field of high and low concentration technologies as well as of efficiency values  and the levelized cost of electricity. The study will regularly be updated.

The percentage of renewables in the electricity supply is steadily growing worldwide. Using a combination of different renewable sources, an ecological and economical electricity mix can be realized across national borders. Decisive here is the reliable supply, storage and distribution of renewable electricity. In the Supergrid project, several Fraunhofer institutes joined together to research just how such an electricity and transmission grid between North Africa and Europe could function. They developed scenarios for a renewable energy system in the MENA region and compared potential technologies. Detailed solutions were proposed and regulatory mechanisms were evaluated.