- PV share increases from 4.7% to 6.3% in 2022
- Nuclear power generation falls to 6%
Strong wind and solar irradiation drove the increased level of electricity generation in the first quarter of 2022. This accounted for 47.1% of the total power that was integrated into the grid, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office Destatis.
In the preceding year, 2021, only 40.4% of electricity generated in Germany and fed into the grid was from green sources. 30.1% was generated from wind power and was the largest contributor, rising from 24.2% in the first three months of 2021. The still weather in 2021 impacted the output of the year and the large difference that has been recorded this year.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) share increased from 4.7% last year to 6.3% in 2022 due to the larger number of sunny days in the first quarter of the year. A year earlier, coal had the strongest position in Germany’s energy mix, accounting for 31.5% of the mix between January and March. Gas generation fell to 13% in the same period.
Due to the phase-out of three nuclear power plants at the close of 2021, nuclear power generation fell to 6%. Currently, there are only three nuclear power plants still operational in Germany.
Overall, the total electricity fed into the grid in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 3.7% annually.