Renewables hit record share of German electricity use in H1 2026

Renewable energy sources covered a record 58% of Germany's electricity consumption in the first half of the year, driven by stronger wind power generation, according to preliminary estimates.

The share marked the highest level ever recorded for a first half, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) said in a report. It was nearly three percentage points higher than a year earlier and exceeded the 55.8% recorded for the whole of 2025.

The increase was mainly due to higher electricity generation from onshore wind farms, which rose 7%, and offshore wind, which climbed 28.3% from the same period a year earlier, the organizations said.

Solar power generation increased 3.7%, while electricity output from hydropower fell 7.7% due to lower rainfall. Electricity generation from biomass edged up 0.6%.

ZSW chief executive Frithjof Staiss said expanding renewable energy would reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and make Europe's largest economy more resilient to energy price shocks. The energy crises of recent months and years were caused by fossil fuels, not renewables, he said in a statement.

Staiss added that expanding renewable energy remained one of the most effective tools for tackling climate change, arguing that electrification could only deliver its full climate benefits if powered by renewable electricity. He said the recent heatwave had underscored the urgency of achieving further progress on measures to combat climate change.