Statistics on the subject of photovoltaics and the energy transition in Germany

Konrad Wolfenstein

4 years ago

Decision-making aids in data, figures, facts and statistics as a PDF for free download, see below.

IMPORTANT: Not all existing documents are mentioned in this post. These may be submitted piece by piece at a later date.

Photovoltaics and energy transition in Germany – Image: Thinnapob Proongsak|Shutterstock.com

Statistics on the subject of photovoltaics in Germany

Important note: The PDF is password protected.
Please get in contact with me. Of course, the PDF is free of charge. Important note: The PDF is password protected. Please contact me. Of course the PDF is free of charge.

German version – To see the PDF, please click on the image below.
German Version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below.

Photovoltaics in Germany – PDF download

Photovoltaic systems convert solar radiation into electrical energy using solar cells.
In 2019, photovoltaic systems with an output of around 49 gigawatts were installed in Germany. The electricity generated by this amounted to around 47 terawatt hours of electricity in the same year. The largest capacities for generating solar power are in the south of Germany. Bavaria is currently by far the federal state with the largest capacities, followed by Baden-Württemberg. In a global comparison, Germany, along with China, the USA and Japan, is one of the leading countries in the use of photovoltaics to generate electricity.

Despite strong growth in recent years, photovoltaics only make up a comparatively small share of electricity generation from renewable energies in Germany: around 18 percent of electricity in this country is produced using photovoltaics. In comparison, onshore wind power is the most important driver of electricity generation from renewable energies. Photovoltaics accounts for around seven percent of total electricity generation.

When looking at the market shares of individual companies, it is clear that the global photovoltaics market is highly fragmented. The leading photovoltaic module manufacturer Jinko Solar, based in China, has a market share of only around 14 percent. The German solar cell manufacturer Hanwha Q-Cells (headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and Thalheim, Germany) ranks sixth in the ranking of the largest manufacturers.

Statistics on the energy transition in Germany

German version – To see the PDF, please click on the image below.
German Version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below.

Energy transition in Germany – PDF download

The aim of the energy transition in Germany is to supply electricity, heat and fuel from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun or water. The share of renewable energies in total final energy consumption - i.e. the energy that reaches the consumer - is currently 16.6 percent in Germany. The federal government's goal is for the proportion to increase to 30 percent by 2030 (to 45 percent by 2040 and to 60 percent by 2050). In terms of electricity consumption, it is already 42.1 percent. According to the federal government's wishes, this proportion should be 80 percent by 2050.

The most important renewable energy sources for generating electricity are wind, biomass and sun. According to the Renewable Energy Sources Act, biomass plant operators, for example, are paid an average of 19.6 cents per kilowatt hour fed into the electricity grid. The costs that arise from promoting electricity generation from renewable energy sources are distributed among electricity consumers with the help of the so-called EEG levy. After the previous high of 6.88 cents per kilowatt hour was reached in 2016 and the EEG levy subsequently fell as part of the electricity price for household customers, it increased slightly again in 2020 to 6.76 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity.

At the beginning of 2013, the offshore network levy (up to and including 2018 “offshore liability levy”) was added as a new component of the electricity price for final consumers. For household customers, this meant a surcharge of 0.42 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed in 2020. The offshore network levy was initially reduced to just under zero cents between 2015 and 2018. With the offshore grid levy, consumers assume a large part of the compensation costs that can arise from late connection of offshore wind farms to the domestic transmission grid or through grid interruptions.

In August 2011, the Atomic Energy Act in Germany was changed to the effect that the remaining nuclear power plants in this country should be decommissioned by the end of 2022. The coal phase-out is also planned. The output of lignite and hard coal plants in Germany is to be continuously reduced until 2038, so that all coal-fired power plants will be shut down by 2038.

Statistics on the topic of smart grids in Germany

German version – To see the PDF, please click on the image below.
German Version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below.

Smart Grid in Germany – PDF Download

The term “smart grid” stands for an intelligent power grid that must be brought into line with the needs and requirements of the 21st century. The intelligent power grid optimizes the cooperation between electricity producers, storage devices, consumers and energy transmission and distribution networks by optimally connecting and monitoring the components through communicative networking and control. The aim is to ensure the energy supply based on efficient and reliable system operation.

The energy transition and the associated expansion of renewable energies in Germany inevitably leads to a restructuring of the electricity network, as today electricity is no longer only generated in large systems, but is supplied to the network decentrally. The trend towards a power grid with decentralized energy producers leads to an enormous need for expansion in order to meet future requirements. It is estimated that there will be a need for network expansion and conversion of the power grids of around 200,000 kilometers by 2030. Furthermore, renewable energies pose the difficulty that their delivery reliability often cannot be predicted. The interaction between weather conditions and the production of energy means that in addition to the expansion of power grids, the expansion of storage technologies must also be sought.

The development towards an intelligent power grid also has an impact on private households and consumers. New IT interfaces and modern electricity meter technologies enable better transparency about the origination of costs and savings opportunities. Intelligent meters, so-called “smart meters”, offer the possibility of remote reading and can include fluctuating electricity prices in the calculation. For example, the consumer can turn on his washing machine when electricity is cheapest due to increased wind power feed-in or low demand. However, the nationwide introduction of smart meters is still in its early stages in Germany. Currently, around one percent of households have such electronic measuring devices. According to a forecast by Navigant Consulting, around 32.9 million smart meters will be installed in Germany by 2020 (as of 2014).

Expert surveys have shown that intelligent power grids in the areas of electrical and information technology have great potential for Germany as a location. This is also shown by a survey on the general situation of Germany as a location for innovation. Arguments for using smart home applications include the associated energy savings, comfort and ease in everyday life, and the increase in the value of the property (as of 2016).

In addition, studies by the Fraunhofer Institute (as of 2012) show that, in addition to the energy sector, other sectors, such as healthcare or the transport sector, can also benefit from the use of intelligent networks in the form of increased efficiency and economic growth impulses. In the energy sector, the annual savings effect for Germany as a location is estimated at nine billion euros.

Statistics on the electricity market in Germany

German version – To see the PDF, please click on the image below.
German Version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below.

Electricity market in Germany – PDF download

Electricity generation in Germany has tended to increase over the past 30 years. Taking into account the energy transition, the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation has decreased in recent years. In contrast, more and more electricity was produced from renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaics. Over the last ten years, the power generation capacity of wind and photovoltaics, for example, has increased significantly. The latter increased its electricity generation capacity tenfold in the past 10 years.

Foreign trade in electricity
Germany is exporting more and more electricity every year. At the same time, the amount of electricity imported has tended to decrease in recent years. Germany exported the most electricity to Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland in 2019, while France was Germany's most important electricity supplier. The trading volume for electricity is traded on the spot and derivatives market (EPEX SPOT or EEX). The monthly price development on the EPEX spot market can be found here.

The largest electricity consumers
Most electricity is currently consumed in China, the USA and India.
Germany was recently ranked 6th among the countries with the highest electricity consumption. Net electricity consumption in Germany was significantly higher in 2019 than almost 30 years ago. The largest electricity consumer in Germany is industry - it consumes almost half of all electricity. The consumer groups “commercial, retail, services” and “households” are responsible for a quarter of electricity consumption. In 2019, industry consumed around 234 terawatt hours of electricity, while households consumed 126. Electricity consumption per person in Germany recently averaged around 7.2 megawatt hours per year - and the trend is falling.

E.ON as one of the largest energy suppliers in the world
The world's largest energy supplier in 2020 was ENEL, based in Italy. In second and third place were the French company EDF and the Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power. In Germany in 2019, E.ON AG was the largest energy supplier in terms of sales. This was followed by Uniper and Innogy. Most recently, German electricity suppliers generated revenues of around 77 billion euros.

Statistics on the energy market in Germany

German version – To see the PDF, please click on the image below.
German Version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below.

Energy market in Germany – PDF download

Germany consumes around 13 exajoules of energy - this corresponds to around 2.3 percent of global primary energy consumption. This puts Germany in seventh place among the world's largest energy consumers compared to other countries.

Germany generates almost a third of the energy it consumes domestically; the rest has to be imported. The primary energy source lignite and renewable energies make the largest contribution to domestic energy production. Mineral oil, natural gas and hard coal are largely supplied from abroad.

Since the energy supply in Germany is based predominantly on fuel imports and Germany is therefore dependent on countries and regions such as the Middle East or Russia, the expansion of renewable energies also serves to reduce dependence on imports. Over the last ten years, the share of renewable energies in energy consumption in Germany has more than doubled. It is currently around 14 percent.

One of the most important energy suppliers on the German energy market is E.ON with sales of 41 billion euros and an electricity sales volume of around 129 terawatt hours in 2019. In total, there are around 1,400 electricity suppliers and 1,000 gas suppliers in Germany. The number of supplier changes has increased in recent years on both the gas and electricity markets. In 2018, almost 1.5 million household customers changed their gas provider; in 2012 there were around 700,000 fewer.

Suitable for: