According to the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, 22GW of solar power was fed into the national grid per hour on Saturday as Germany continues to bask in the same sunny weather as the UK. This is enough energy to meet 50 percent of Germany’s total electricity demand on a Saturday and approximately one third on a weekday.
The news is a welcome boost to a country which has chosen to fully abandon nuclear power by 2022 in the wake of last year’s Fukushima disaster in japan. Germany currently generates 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources having added 7.5GW of installed capacity during the last 12 months for a total of 26GW – almost as much as the rest of the world combined.
Howard Johns, managing director of Southern Solar, said: “Germany’s achievements show what is possible with real visionary leadership. A fantastic step on the path to 100% renewable energy. It also illustrates what could be possible if conditions were right in the UK.”