Germany has joined the prestigious club of photovoltaic superpowers

China, the USA, India and, from 2024, Germany. These are the 4 largest PV powers that have the largest installed capacity in PV power plants in the world.

Germany broke records in renewable energy (RES) last year. The RES capacity of our western neighbours increased by 20 GW.

The construction of new RES was mainly driven by photovoltaics, which accounted for more than 80% of the total growth (16 GW). The share of RES in Germany's electricity production also increased to a record 62.7 percent last year. This was reported by the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (Fraunhofer ISE).

The total volume of electricity from renewable sources in Germany last year reached 275.2 terawatt hours (TWh), an increase of 4.4 percent compared to the previous year.

Wind power was the most important source of energy in Germany last year, accounting for 33 percent of electricity production and providing 136.4 TWh. Photovoltaic plants were responsible for around 14 percent. Compared to 2023, electricity generation from PV plants rose by 10.8 TWh to 72.2 TWh, an increase of 18 percent year-on-year.

Record PV boom
According to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), installed PV capacity in Germany increased by 16.73 GW, surpassing the magic 100 GW mark by the end of the year.

The total installed PV capacity in Germany will reach 100.8 GW at the end of December 2024. Of this, 70% is accounted for by the roofs of houses and businesses.

Germany's largest solar park was also commissioned in 2024, with an installed capacity of 162 MW. Overall, new installations were traditionally driven by Bavaria, which added 4 GW of capacity.

Germany also saw a continued boom in photovoltaics last year with the so-called balcony plants. Their newly installed capacity doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, surpassing 400 MWp.