Renewable energy sources significantly dominated electricity consumption, with a share exceeding 54%, during the first half of 2025.
In the first half of 2025, Germany's renewable energy sector showed a mixed performance, with overall contribution to the country's electricity consumption slightly declining, yet significant growth in solar power generation.
According to recent data, renewable energies accounted for 54.5% of Germany’s power consumption in the first half of 2025, a decrease of 2.7 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. This decline was primarily caused by unfavourable weather conditions, particularly low wind speeds and reduced water availability, which impacted wind and hydropower output.
Wind energy took a significant hit, with onshore wind generation dropping by 18.3% and offshore wind by 17% year-on-year in the first six months. Hydropower volumes decreased by 29% due to lower precipitation and limited snowmelt following a warm winter. However, in a positive development, photovoltaic generation increased by 23%, partially offsetting the losses from other renewable sources.
National electricity consumption fell slightly by 0.7% to about 258.6 terawatt hours (TWh) in H1 2025. Domestic electricity production edged down 0.2% to 251.2 TWh. Germany imported slightly less electricity in 2025 than in 2024, with net imports of about 7.7 TWh.
Despite the short-term drop in generation due to weather, Germany continues to expand renewable capacity and aims for 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Recent legislative measures to expedite permitting and expansion of onshore wind and solar projects reflect ongoing efforts to accelerate renewable deployment.
Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the BDEW Management Board, stated that electricity from renewable sources is the foundation of the supply. She emphasised the need for flexibility options to manage weather-related fluctuations and the phase-out of coal-fired power plants.
In a notable achievement, more than 12 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity was generated from photovoltaic plants in June 2025 alone, a record for a single month. Hydropower contributed 8.1 million MWh of electricity in the first half of 2025, a decrease of 29 percent compared to the same period last year.
Onshore wind turbines with a capacity of 2.1 gigawatts (GW) were added in the first half of 2025, compared to 1.4 GW in the same period last year. Offshore wind energy production fell by 17 percent in the first half of 2025.
In summary, while the renewable energy sector faced challenges due to weather conditions in the first half of 2025, the growth in solar power generation and ongoing efforts to expand renewable capacity offer promising signs for the future.
- Amidst the decline in overall renewable energy contribution and specific challenges faced by wind and hydropower, the solar power industry registered a significant growth of 23%, indicating a positive trend in Germany's renewable-energy sector.
- As part of the ongoing efforts to accelerate renewable deployment, legislative measures have been implemented to expedite permitting and expansion of onshore wind and solar projects, thereby boosting the financial sector's investment opportunities in environmental-science and renewable-energy.
- With the expansion of renewable capacity and the aim to achieve 80% renewable electricity by 2030, the renewable-energy sector plays a crucial role in shaping Germany's future energy mix, contributing significantly toward a sustainable and environmentally-friendly industrial growth.
