Germany's solar power production nears record level

Solar energy in net electricity generation in Germany is fast approaching a record total of more than 100 terawatt-hours in a single calendar year.

By September 27, solar output had already reached 90.2 terawatt-hours, already surpassing the total 90 terawatt-hours generated for all of 2025, according to the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) in Berlin.

An unusually large number of sunshine hours and the continued expansion of photovoltaics contributed to the high figures, said the association, citing a generation update released by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE on Saturday.

By contrast, 20 years ago, solar power generated only 2.2 terawatt-hours over the entire year.

The approaching record is a milestone for the energy transition, said Carsten Körnig, managing director of BSW-Solar.

"Photovoltaics has developed from a niche technology into a cornerstone of our electricity supply," Körnig said. "Society as a whole benefits from this: through cheaper electricity, fewer energy import and significantly lower climate-related damages."

An electricity volume of 100 terawatt-hours is a huge amount. One terawatt-hour is one billion kilowatt-hours.

For comparison, 10.7 terawatt-hours of electricity were consumed last year in the city of Hamburg. Households in Germany typically consume 2,000 to 4,000 kilowatt-hours a year.

According to Germany's Federal Statistical Office, 59.1% of all domestically produced electricity in the first half of 2026 came from renewable sources.

Photovoltaics accounted for 17.8% of the total electricity volume and was the third most important energy source of domestically produced electricity behind wind power, the top energy source, followed by coal.