Wind and solar: green sources for our customers' electricity

Never before has so much electricity been generated from renewable energy sources as in 2023, with the main drivers being electricity generation from solar energy and onshore wind power. Expansion is ongoing, but increasing electrification is also increasing the demand for electricity from renewable energy sources. The rapid transition to renewable energies and more environmentally friendly gases must therefore continue to be prioritised.

The energy supply in Germany is being fundamentally restructured. The aim is to achieve independence from fossil fuels through the expansion of renewable energy. Germany aims to be climate-neutral by 2045, with at least 80% of electricity consumption to be covered by renewable energy sources by 2030 and almost all electricity to come from renewable energy by 2035. The focus is on wind and solar energy. Their expansion is in full swing: electricity generation from renewable energy increased by 8.1% in Q3 2023 compared to Q3 2022, reaching a share of 60.2% of the total electricity generated.

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Wind energy

Onshore wind power refers to the generation of energy from wind on land and is classified as renewable energy. As one of the most cost-effective renewable energy sectors, onshore wind energy is becoming increasingly important for the expansion of renewable energy sources. Wind supply and energy demand are highest in winter, making wind energy the most important pillar for a climate-neutral electricity supply. It complements photovoltaics (PV) perfectly, which compensates for the weaker wind in the summer months. Alongside photovoltaics, onshore wind energy was the main driver of renewable electricity production in 2023. With almost 30,000 wind turbines and an installed capacity of almost 60,000 megawatts, Germany is one of the pioneers of onshore wind power in Europe.

Already there? No. The EEG 2023 stipulates the targeted expansion path for onshore wind energy. In 2024, for example, 69 GW of installed capacity is to be achieved. (source: Gesetz für den Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien § 4 Ausbaupfad,1a). This means that an increase of around 16% in the total stock is required to achieve this target.

Solar energy

Photovoltaic systems convert the energy of solar radiation into electricity. Today, new solar systems are among the cheapest renewable energy technologies and have considerable growth potential. Intelligent concepts and innovations prevent competition for land. Biodiversity solar parks, which create new habitats for flora and fauna, are also being considered, as is agri-PV in agriculture.

For these reasons, photovoltaic systems are one of the most important power generation sources of the future. The statutory expansion target is therefore ambitious and means that even greater importance must be attached to expansion. In order to achieve the target of 80% electricity from renewable energy by 2030, the EEG stipulates an installed photovoltaic capacity of 215 GW in 2030. To achieve this, the annual expansion of photovoltaics must be tripled from 7 GW in 2022 to 22 GW. The expansion is to be equally focused on building and ground-mounted systems.

Uniper's course towards green

Uniper is committed to the energy transition and has set itself the goal of turning 80% of its 15 to 20 GW generation portfolio green by the early 2030s. To this end, Uniper is expanding its renewable energy portfolio in Europe. With its many years of experience and expertise, the Renewable team focuses on all aspects of the value chain, from project development and construction to the operation and marketing of renewable plants. For example, solar energy and onshore wind power.

Your partner in renewable energy

Uniper Renewables

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Successfully shaping the energy transition with solar and wind energy

Renewables projects

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Uniper is Sweden’s second largest nuclear power company. Uniper Sweden has three active nuclear power plants: OKG, Ringhals and Forsmark. We are the majority owner and operator of OKG in Oskershamn, a 1.6 GW nuclear power plant on the country’s east…

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Hydro power

Clean electricity from water.

Extensive expertise in providing clean power from water

Gas

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