Germany increased the construction of solar panels and wind turbines last year, with installed renewable energy capacity rising by 11% to around 210 gigawatts, the country’s energy regulator said on Thursday.
The Federal Network Agency said the pace of expansion was close to that of previous years, after capacity grew by about 12% in both 2023 and 2024.
Solar power accounted for more than half of Germany’s total installed renewable capacity last year, reaching 117 gigawatts. Newly added solar capacity amounted to 16.4 gigawatts, with the southern state of Bavaria leading the expansion at 4.5 gigawatts.
So-called “balcony power plants” – small photovoltaic systems installed by households – also gained importance. The registered mini solar units accounted for 3.2% of newly added solar capacity in 2025, up from 2.5% a year earlier, the regulator said.
While the increase in solar capacity was slightly below the previous year’s level, onshore wind power expanded significantly.
New installations of land-based wind turbines totalled 4.6 gigawatts, well above the 2.6 gigawatts added in the year before. The western state of North Rhine-Westphalia recorded the largest increase, with an additional 1.3 gigawatts.
Germany’s onshore wind capacity has now reached 68.1 gigawatts, the Federal Network Agency said. Under government targets, this figure is set to rise to 115 gigawatts by 2030, a goal that would require roughly doubling last year’s expansion pace
Alongside solar and onshore wind as the main drivers of the energy transition, offshore wind and biomass also contribute. Progress in offshore wind remains modest, while capacity from biomass has largely stagnated.
Source: dpa
