Germany is in the front-row seat when it comes to countries pushing climate control. The European nation has set ambitious climate goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. One way Germany can achieve this is by boosting the share of its energy produced from renewables.
While 2030 is several years away, how is Germany doing currently as far as renewable energy is concerned? What is fueling the increase in the need for renewable resources? Does Germany even have enough renewable resources for its population? This article answers the question and much more.
How Is Germany Doing Renewable Energy-Wise In 2022?
There is increasing evidence that renewable energy is growing in Germany.
Reports from Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) show that energy from renewable sources amounted to 74.5 billion kWh in the first quarter of 2022.
This represented about 25 percent increase year on year.
The increase was thanks to an unusually windy first quarter, especially in February. Wind turbines were responsible for 47 and 62 percent of power consumption in January and February, respectively.
Solar panels produced 9.6 billion kWh. In total, renewable energy satisfied 54 percent of the total demand in Germany in the first two months of the year.
Why Should Germany Invest In More Renewable Energy?
Germany needs to invest in more renewable energy to reach its aim. Apart from reducing its carbon emissions level, the country aims for 100 percent renewable energy by 2035.
To meet that target, Germany needs 200 GW of solar PV installed. With an installed solar capacity of 60 GW, the country has to triple its annual installation rate.
Another reason Germany should be expanding its renewable energy portfolio is to reduce its energy dependence.
Germany imported 142 billion cubic meters of gas in 2021, with about 32 percent supplied by Russia, 20 percent by Norway, and the Netherlands 12 percent.
To increase its energy sufficiency, Germany has to significantly step up its renewable energy production.
Can Germany Meet All Its Energy Needs From Renewable Sources?
The answer is yes. Germany has few oil and gas resources, but the country has an abundance of renewable energy sources.
For example, Germany has great potential for solar energy. This energy source can power domestic and industrial applications.
It can be used to generate heating water in domestic and industrial processes. Germany can depend on solar panels as they are among the most affordable renewable technologies.
Germany can also tap into wind energy to make its energy mix greener. In fact, wind energy has been the driving force in the country’s renewable energy expansion.
Germany has lots of potential for wind turbines, with many locations suitably windy for installation.
Another popular renewable energy source in German is biomass. Presented in solid, liquid, or gaseous form, biomass can be used for electricity production.
Almost half of Germany’s land area is agricultural land, with one-third being forest.
Germany also has favorable geographic and climatic growth conditions, encouraging agricultural and forestry biomass and organic waste.
Around 55 percent of renewable energy in 2019 came from biomass, accounting for 15 percent of all energy supply for the year. Ninety-five percent of Germans have access to clean cooking.
Renewable Energy In The Future In Germany
According to Mordor Intelligence, Germany’s demand for renewable energy is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3 percent between 2020 and 2025. Supportive government policies will fuel this growth.
Mordor expects wind energy to carry a significant share of the growth in the market for renewable energy, allowing Germany to increase the rate of decarbonization of its power system and increase its flexibility. Offshore wind farms will produce 15 GW of energy in 2030.
Solar energy, wind, and hydro will account for about 85 percent of Germany’s electricity production by 2050.
This means lots of growth potential and investment opportunities in the energy sector.
BEV cars are the future, and no oil should be used to transport ourselves and goods. We should care about our planet, there is no planet B after all.
Quit transporting ourselves wit automated transport machines.
Only Walking.
Then we are moving Fossil free.
The irish for instance, has promoted the idea to not sell any oil based cars past 2030. In Ireland there are currently 1 million cars on the road. 80% are 10 years or younger. This means, that by 2040, the hope is that 80% of cars will be EV. Now in theory this sounds great and promising.
Flip side. To power 80% EV cars, ireland will require 2no 2 gigawatt nuclear power stations, to generate the electricity required to power these cars, without affecting the normal run of power grid.
In addition to this, to manufacture and sell 800k EV cars, there is considerable transport involved as Ireland is an island.
In addition to this, there are limited countries in the world extracting lithium from mines. Bare in mind, these lithium mines have devastating effects on local environments and biosphere. So it gets mined. Then sent to a different country for refining. Then sent across the world to the car manufacturers. And that’s just for the battery. They still have to build the rest of the car, with electric robots, that use power grid electricity, that’s run off nuclear power, or hydro power which, depending on the country you live in again has devastating effects on local environments.
So I think the real question here is, for the owner of an EV, is it more environmentally friendly than oil. Yes it is. But only because car manufacturers hide what is required to make an EV car, and dont explain that if everyone has one, then there categorically will be issues with the power grid.
Carpool, train, bus, bike, walk. That’s it
A lot of those issues are the same for manufacturing ice cars too, as you said ireland is an island, Ireland also doesn’t have a car manufacturer so all cars are imported.
New forms of electricity production will have to come anyway as the plan is to remove all fossil fuel productions, maybe nuclear is possibility
Even with EV vehicles we will never drive Fossil free.
Only building a car kost tons of fossil fuels, and mining product.
We will use Fossil fuel yo make electricity, and for building the machines to create “fossil free” electricity.