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Renewable Energy Made Up 62.7% of Germany’s Electricity in 2024

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09 Jan, 2025

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

Renewables are now making up a majority of the net public electricity generation in Germany, according to a new report by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).

As Fraunhofer ISE reported, renewable energy sources accounted for 62.7% of the net public electricity generated in Germany in 2024. Wind energy made up the most of this share, comprising 33% of net public electricity generation at 136.4 terawatt hours (TWh). While onshore wind energy declined slightly, offshore wind power increased to 25.7 TWh compared to 2023’s 23.5 TWh.

Meanwhile, solar power in Germany reached a new record of 72.2 TWh in 2024 and exceeded the country’s photovoltaic target to install 13 gigawatts (GW) of solar for 2024, with 13.3 GW installed by November 2024 and an estimated 15.9 GW installed by the end of the year. 

Total solar power production increased by 18% compared to 2023, and solar energy made up 14% of the total net public electricity generation, according to Fraunhofer ISE. 

Solar expansion and production increased rapidly last year, despite weather conditions that were often not ideal for solar power generation, PV Magazine reported. While Germany experienced its hottest year on record, as Yahoo! reported, the country experienced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in July, which was also the month with the most solar energy production of 2024. Heavy rain and storms continued into the fall.

The Odervorland wind farm in Brandenburg, Germany on Oct. 24, 2024. Patrick Pleul / picture alliance via Getty Images

In addition to rising renewables, reliance on hard coal and lignite for public electricity generation declined by 27.6% and 8.4%, respectively. Lignite, or brown coal, is one of the most polluting and carbon-emitting types of coal to use for power generation, according to Greenpeace. Reducing the combustion of lignite and hard coal in favor of renewables is helping to lower emissions in Germany.

“Due to the increasing share of renewable energies and the decline in coal-fired power generation, electricity generation is lower in CO2 emissions than ever before; since 2014, emissions from electricity generation have halved (from 312 to approx. 152 million tons of CO2 per year),” Fraunhofer ISE stated. “Carbon dioxide emissions from German electricity generation were 58 percent lower than at the start of data collection in 1990.”

While renewable energy expansion and generation is on the rise in Germany, the country still has more targets to meet to reach its overall clean energy goals. According to Fraunhofer ISE, onshore wind expansion, which met 2.44 GW installed for 2024, fell behind schedule of the 7 GW planned. Further, while lignite consumption declined, it still provided 71.1 TWh for net public electricity generation, nearly the same amount as solar. Natural gas consumption for electricity also increased 9.5% in 2024 compared to 2023.

To boost the continued increase in renewable energy capacity and reduce the use of fossil fuels, Germany has worked to expand battery storage. In 2024, the country increased installed battery capacity from 8.6 GW to 12.1 GW. Storage capacity increased from 12.7 gigawatt hours (GWh) to 17.7 GWh.

The German Federal Government has set a target for carbon-neutrality by 2045 as well as goals to end coal-fired power generation and meet 80% of gross electricity consumption with renewable energy sources by 2030, as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reported. In June 2024, the government’s climate advisors announced the country was not on track to meet its 2030 goals, Reuters reported.

The post Renewable Energy Made Up 62.7% of Germany’s Electricity in 2024 appeared first on EcoWatch.

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Energy Efficiency as an Imperative Climate Strategy

Energy Efficiency as an Imperative Climate Strategy

With mandatory climate statement disclosure rolling out in Australia, businesses need to start reporting on their emissions and sustainability plans for the future. As companies begin assessing the relevant risks and opportunities related to various climate scenarios, energy efficiency presents itself as an immediate climate-strategy with long-term benefits.

Commencing 1 January 2025, businesses that meet two of the three conditions — more than 500 employees, gross assets above $1 billion or $500 million or more in consolidated gross revenue — are required to lodge a climate statement, which discloses their climate-related plans, financial risks and obligations. As part of the gradual roll-out, by 1 July 2027, businesses that meet two of these conditions — more than 100 employees, gross assets above $25 million or exceeding $50 million in consolidated gross revenue — will also be required to report.

This climate statement will need to include the company’s sustainability governance, climate risks and opportunities, including those physical and transition related. They will also need to disclose their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, strategy to decarbonise, and conduct scenario analysis on the short, medium and long term impacts on the business. By the second year of reporting, businesses will also be expected to report on Scope 3 emissions.

Scenario analysis will be based on various assumptions of the state of the climate, one of which includes a possible future where global temperature has increased 2.5°C or more. They will be required to share their climate strategy and steps they are taking long-term in preparation for this scenario.

Common themes within climate strategies will include switching to renewable energy sources, electrifying fleet vehicles, purchasing carbon credits, and carbon capture and storage. Many of these methods look at reducing emissions through the energy source, or targeting the carbon aspect directly; however, climate strategies can also include reducing the amount of energy used. By investing in more energy efficient equipment, sites can maintain production whilst using less energy and producing less emissions.

When increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption first, businesses will see short-term impacts; however, in the long term, they are also improving their foundation for an energy transition. Assuming no other changes, higher energy efficiency can lead to decreased energy demand, allowing for reduced system requirements when specifying and planning for self-generation or energy costs.

To understand what opportunities are available for upgrading to more energy efficient equipment, businesses can start with an energy audit to understand how energy is being consumed across site. Energy audits, like the ABB Energy Appraisal, can provide a roadmap for where and how equipment can be upgraded for the best energy saving potential. An energy audit identifies areas that can be immediately improved with existing equipment on the market, so there is no need to wait for the commercialization or development of more sustainable technology. Going beyond just changing all lights to LEDs, efficiency recommendations may include areas where variable speed drives can be added to control motor speed or upgrading from an IE3 motor to an IE5 ultra-premium efficiency or IE6 hyper-premium efficiency motor to reduce energy losses by 40% or more. This area can often be overlooked on sites as the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) in Australia for motors is just IE2.

Mostly used in pumps, compressors, conveyors and fans, motors may seem like a minor part of a site; however, with 45% of the world’s electricity converted into motion by industrial electric motors, there are many opportunities for energy savings. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by ABB IEC Low voltage motors, showed that 92% of surveyed businesses in Australia recognize the important role of electric motors in achieving sustainability targets. In this same survey, participants ranked a reduction in operating cost as a more important driver for investing in energy efficiency than lowering their organization’s emissions. This is because upgrading to newer, more efficient equipment provides benefits beyond just emission reduction. For example, ABB’s Synchronous Reluctance (SynRM) Motors, available in IE5 ultra-premium efficiency or IE6 hyper-premium efficiency, use no rare earth metals or magnets. Running quieter and with bearing temperatures reduced by up to 15°C and winding temperatures by up to 30°, SynRM motors have longer maintenance periods, superior reliability, and contribute to a better operational environment.

Looking ahead, upgrading to an IE5 SynRM motor also provides more visibility into Scope 3 emissions, as SynRM motors meet ABB’s circularity criteria and transparency on environmental impact is provided through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

By requiring companies to disclose their climate information, these new legal requirements are opening the door and facilitating more internal discussions on environmental impact and emission reduction. Whilst mandatory climate reporting is only required of large business entities this year, the progressive roll-out and Scope 3 emission reporting requirements mean that businesses of all sizes in Australia will be impacted by these new requirements. As businesses become more conscious of how sustainability should be integrated into their operations and finances, there is no better time to start investing in energy efficient solutions.

For more information, click here.

Image credit: iStock.com/denizunlusu

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