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Last year, Germany produced 161 billion kWh from renewable sources, or about 27% of electricity consumption. This year, thanks to rapid growth in solar and wind power, the country is on track to produce 193 billion kWh from renewable sources, or about 33% of total electricity consumption. That's grow of about 22% in just a year!
Though this is a preliminary estimate, on 31 October 2015 wind energy had already supplied 47% more electricity (63 billion kWh) that during the same time period in 2014.
Though the late autumn weather tends to be unpredictable, Germany's solar sector has already provided as much electricity during that 10 month period (35 billion kWh) as the whole of 2014.
Energy independence has real geopolitical implications for Germany vis-a-vis Russia.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @06:35PM
*sigh*
1'000'000'000 = english billion ( german milliard)
1'000 kWh = 1 MWh
1'000'000 kWh = 1 GWh
1'000'000'000 kWh = 1'000 GWh
1'000 GWh = 1 Terra *weeh* Wh
687'000'000'000 kWh =687 TWh (wrong?)
thats a hell of plug thats ..ehem ... plugged into the sun ^_^
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 11 2015, @01:31AM
There is no english billion in any practical use. Let it die so we can stop confusing everyone.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 11 2015, @01:57PM
Tera, not Terra. It's not related to earth (Latin terra) but to monster (Greek teras).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 11 2015, @02:07PM
A (non-leap) year has 365 days, with 24 hours per day. That is, a year has 8760 hours.
687 TWh/year are therefore 687/8760 TW, or 78.4 GW.
While it indeed looks a bit large (it's the power of about 100 nuclear power plants), it's negligible compared to the total power the sun delivers to earth.