PV was the largest electricity source in Germany in June

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From pv magazine Germany

All PV systems connected to the grid in Germany generated around 7.99 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in June alone, setting a new record for solar power generation.

According to the Energy Charts published by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunofer ISE), the previous record had been set in June 2020 with 7.3 TWh.

The share of photovoltaics in net public electricity generation reached 20.6 percent in June. This means that a fifth of the electricity that came from the grid was generated by PV systems. Lignite power plants also achieved 20.6 percent but only 7.96 TWh last month. PV was therefore the largest source of electricity. The share of 20.6 percent, however, is not a new record for photovoltaics — in May 2020 it accounted for 20.8 percent despite lower generation values, as demand and electricity generation at the time was significantly lower due to the coronavirus crisis.

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With 4.48 TWh (11.6 percent) in June, wind power lagged behind nuclear power plants, which contributed 4.95 TWh, or 12.8 percent, to electricity generation. Overall, the share of renewables in June was 48.3 percent, according to the Energy Charts.

Last month, electricity consumption rose by around 10 percent and was mainly covered by lignite power plants. Gas and hard coal power plants, on the other hand, suffered from the significantly higher fuel prices, which are due to the much higher demand worldwide.

Overall, the generation of renewables in the first half of the year declined significantly compared to the two previous years, which was mainly due to the lower share of wind power. By contrast, fossil fuel production — which had declined continuously in recent years — was initially on the rise.

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