Germany's solar and wind power installations hit record high in 2023

Germany's solar and wind power installations have hit a record high in 2023.

As per the industry associations, the country has achieved significant milestones especially in photovoltaic energy. With this, the country is expecting continued growth this year.

According to Germany, it aims to cover 80% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2030. This is up from 52% in 2023. Last year, over a million new solar power systems generating 14 GW of energy were installed in Germany last year.

According to the BSW solar power association, around 7 GW were installed in the residential segment, which is up by 135% on the year and around half of total installed capacity.

A local report mentioned that as per data, around 31%, or 4.3 GW, came from solar parks, up 40% compared to 2022.

"We expect a sustained solar boom in 2024," BSW head Carsten Koernig said in a statement, calling for a reduction in bureaucracy such as easing access to suitable locations for parks. In the wind sector, awarded tenders also reached a record high last year, at around 6.4 GW, but failed to meet the government's target of annual onshore installed capacity of 10 GW by 2030, wind power association BWE said in the statement.

BWE head Baerbel Heidebroek remarked, “Laws to reduce bureaucracy in the sector are still lacking, and new bills approved last year had not been fully effective yet, BWE added. "If we can now quickly set the course for approvals, nature conservation and repowering, 2024 will be even more successful."