In a first for the country, Germany generated 54.5 percent of electricity from renewable energy in March 2019. This is according to data collected by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.
Bruno Burger of Fraunhofer tweeted the news yesterday.
The Fraunhofer data shows wind power generated 34.4 percent of the energy mix, solar power at 7.3 percent with the remaining 12.8 percent coming from hydropower and biomass.
Germany Trade and Invest’s Director of Energy, Esther Frey issued a statement in response to the news calling it “significant.”
“It shows that German investment in renewable energy sources is changing the way the country will get its power in future,” she added.
Germany has been steadily adding renewables into its generation mix as part of the Energiewende, which translates to Energy Transition. The company has pledged a low-carbon, nuclear-free future and has been installing both onshore and offshore wind and solar at a quick pace.
Despite the influx of renewables, however, carbon emissions for the country have not fallen as it has had to burn more coal than ever in order to keep the grid stable after closing its nuclear units in 2011 in response to the Fukushima disaster.