Renewables continue to grow

In 2008, renewable energy sources again made a significant contribution to climate protection: The most recent figures show that the production of electricity, heat and fuel from renewable energy sources led to a reduction of environmentally harmful carbon dioxide by approximately 112 million tonnes - 56 million tonnes of which were saved alone through remunerated electricity generation as provided for in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). In Germany last year, turnover in this sector amounted to nearly 29 billion euro. These figures confirm provisional estimates made earlier this year by the Working Group on Renewable Energies - Statistics (AGEE-Stat).

Members of AGEE-Stat include - in addition to the Federal Environment Ministry - the Federal Ministries of Economics and Agriculture and the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW); AGEE-Stat is headed by the Baden-Württemberg Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW). The number of jobs in this sector rose from roughly 250,000 in 2007 to approximately 280,000 last year, according to another study on employment in the renewable energies sector compiled for the Federal Environment Ministry by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in collaboration with the DIW, the ZWS and the Institute of Economic Structures Research (GWS).

Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel: "The numbers compellingly show that renewable energy sources are a driving force for environmental protection, economic development and the creation of future-proof jobs. With the systematic expansion of renewable energy sources, we are on the right path in terms of environmental and industrial policy. Even in times of financial crisis, investments will continue to be made in this area, thanks to solid legal arrangements such as the EEG, which in 2009 continue to provide a basis for granting loans."

According to those figures, renewable energy sources account for a 9.7 percent share of Germany’s total final energy consumption - 14.8 percent of which is gross electricity consumption, 7.7 percent is heat consumption and 6.1 percent is fuel consumption. A special current report evaluates the substitution of electricity from conventional power plants with respective sources of renewable energy, as well as the resulting CO2 reduction.

All sources cited are available at www.bmub.bund.de and www.erneuerbare-energien.de  in the section Data Service.

Current development of renewable energy sources (RES) in Germany in 2008 (validated data):

RES share of total final energy consumption ⁽¹⁾: 9.7 %

RES-electricity share of total gross electricity consumption: 14.8 %

RES-heat share of total final energy consumption for heat ⁽²⁾: 7.7 %

RES share of total fuel consumption ⁽³⁾: 6.1 %

RES share of total primary energy consumption

1. calculated according to the physical energy content method: 7.1 %
2. calculated according to the substitution method: 9.7 %

CO2 emissions ⁽⁴⁾ avoided by RES: approx. 112 mill. t

• of that electricity remunerated under the EEG: approx. 56 mill. t
• Total turnover from RES: approx. 28.7 bill. EUR
  of that amount:

turnover from the construction of plants: approx. 13.1 bill. EUR

turnover from the operation of plants: approx. 15.6 bill. EUR

Employees in the RES sector ⁽⁵⁾: approx. 278,000

(1) Final energy consumption 2008, Working Group on Energy Balances, March 2009, preliminary estimate

(2) Final energy consumption for heat 2008 was not yet available, here an estimate by the ZSW, March 2009

(3) Biofuel data 2008 based on BAFA, FNR, StaBA, in coordination with BMF, BMELV, preliminary data

(4) Calculations based on the substitution of other energy sources; for electricity according to a new 2009 report; source: Fhg ISI

(5) provisional figures; source: DLR, DIW, ZSW, GWS