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On March 17, 1958, the United States' second satellite, Vanguard I, flew into space with a chemical battery and photovoltaic cells to power a transmitter on board. After much hesitation on the part of the US Army, Hans Ziegler (1911–1999) was able to prevail with his idea that an energy supply with solar cells would ensure the operation of the transmitter for longer than the use of batteries. Contrary to the expectations of the military, the station's signals could be received until May 1964 before it ceased its signaling activities.

The success of this small satellite and the scientists involved laid the foundation for the first sensible use of the previously almost unknown and, above all, very expensive solar cells. For many years, solar cells were developed primarily for space travel purposes, as they proved to be the ideal power supply for satellites and space probes up to Mars' distance from the sun. The long service life of the spacecraft compared to battery operation far outweighed the still high price of solar cells per kilowatt hour. In addition, solar cells were and are cheaper and less risky than radioisotope generators, which allow for similarly long operating times. Most spacecraft were and are therefore equipped with solar cells to supply energy.

In 2008, solar cells with increased efficiency delivered several kilowatts of power for communications satellites with over 30 transponders, each with around 150 watts of transmission power, or even provided the drive energy for ion engines in space probes. The Juno space probe, which launched in August 2011, draws its energy from particularly efficient and radiation-resistant solar cells for the first time in orbit around the planet Jupiter. Almost all of the approximately 1,000 satellites in use worldwide obtain their power from photovoltaics. In space, an output of 220 watts per square meter is achieved.

Source: History of photovoltaics

Photovoltaics – Installed power in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital

The cumulative electrical output of all grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Germany was around 54 gigawatt peak in 2020. Bavaria is by far the federal state with the most installed capacity, followed by Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. The city states of Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin have the lowest nominal output of photovoltaic systems.

Photovoltaics

The conversion of light energy into electrical energy using solar cells describes electricity generation through photovoltaic systems. In Germany, the installed capacity of photovoltaic systems is increasing more and more. This development can also be seen globally: around a quarter of the total installed capacity worldwide is in China. This is followed by the USA, Japan and Germany, which in comparison have significantly less installed photovoltaic capacity.

Renewable energy

In addition to photovoltaic systems, hydropower, for example, is also a renewable energy source. In contrast to fossil fuels, they are renewable. Wind energy is particularly important in Germany. Even in a European comparison, electricity generation from wind energy is the highest in this country. The United Kingdom and Spain follow at a distance.

Installed capacity (cumulative) of photovoltaic systems in Germany from 2000 to 2020

• 2000: 114 megawatts
• 2001: 176 megawatts
• 2002: 296 megawatts
• 2003: 435 megawatts
• 2004: 1,105 megawatts
• 2005: 2,056 megawatts
• 2006: 2,899 megawatts
• 2007: 4,170 megawatts
• 2008: 6,120 megawatts
• 2009: 10,566 megawatts
• 2010: 18,006 megawatts
• 2011: 25,916 megawatts
• 2012: 34,077 megawatts
• 2013: 36,710 megawatts
• 2014: 37,900 megawatts
• 2015: 39,224 megawatts
• 2016: 40,679 megawatts
• 2017: 42,293 megawatts
• 2018: 45,158 megawatts
• 2019: 49,047 megawatts
• 2020: 53,848 megawatts

Photovoltaics – share of electricity generation in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital

In 2020, nine percent of the electricity generated was produced by photovoltaics. The use of photovoltaic systems has become more and more important over the years. The share of the sun as a renewable energy source has increased continuously since 2003.

Sunlight as a source of energy

The advantage of the sun as an energy source is that it is available free of charge, without restrictions and indefinitely. People also take advantage of this and use solar cells to convert light energy into electrical energy. The increasing share of photovoltaics in total electricity generation can be explained, among other things, by the falling costs of the systems and a greater awareness of the use of renewable energies.

Renewable energy sources

While the share of nuclear energy and hard coal in electricity generation in Germany is decreasing, the share of all renewable energy sources is increasing at the same time. In addition to the use of photovoltaic systems, electricity is also generated from the renewable energy sources water, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. Onshore wind turbines produce by far the largest amount of renewable energy in Germany.

Share of photovoltaics in gross electricity generation in Germany from 2002 to 2020

• 2002: 0 in %
• 2003: 0.1 in %
• 2004: 0.1 in %
• 2005: 0.2%
• 2006: 0.3 in %
• 2007: 0.5 in %
• 2008: 0.7 in %
• 2009: 1.1 in %
• 2010: 1.8 in %
• 2011: 3.2 in %
• 2012: 4.2 in %
• 2013: 4.9 in %
• 2014: 5.7 in %
• 2015: 6 in %
• 2016: 5.9 in %
• 2017: 6 in %
• 2018: 6.9%
• 2019: 7.5%
• 2020: 8.9%

Renewable energies – distribution of electricity generation by energy source – Image: Xpert.Digital

In 2020, the share of electricity generation from onshore wind power was 42 percent of gross electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Germany. Based on all energy sources, including conventional ones, the contribution of onshore wind energy to gross electricity generation in 2020 was around 19 percent.

Renewable energy electricity generation

In contrast to fossil fuels such as coal and nuclear energy, renewable energy sources are renewable. They currently generate almost half of all electricity in Germany. Electricity generation from renewable energies has increased continuously over the past almost 30 years. In a nationwide comparison, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia are among the federal states with the highest share of renewable energies in gross electricity generation.

Wind energy in Germany

When it comes to wind energy, Germany was one of the most important countries in the world in terms of installed wind turbine output in 2019, alongside China and the USA. The amount of electricity generated from wind energy has increased significantly in recent years, both on land and at sea. At the same time, both the number of offshore and onshore wind turbines increased noticeably.

Distribution of electricity generation from renewable energies in Germany by energy source in 2020

• Onshore wind power: 42 in %
• Photovoltaics: 20 in %
• Biomass: 18 in %
• Offshore wind power: 11 in %
• Hydropower*: 7 in %
• Household waste**: 2 in %

* Generation in run-of-river and storage power plants as well as generation from natural inflow in pumped storage power plants.
** Only produced from the biogenic portion of household waste (approx. 50%). Values ​​were converted into percentages and rounded compared to the original source for a better understanding of the statistics.