Public power generation in 2025: wind and solar at the top for the first time

19.01.2026

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

In 2025, wind power and photovoltaics jointly achieved the top position in public electricity generation in Germany for the first time.

According to data from energy-charts.info from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, the share of renewable energies was 55.9 percent, as in the previous year.

Wind energy remained the strongest net electricity producer with 132 terawatt hours (TWh), although generation fell slightly due to weather conditions. Photovoltaics increased its electricity production by 21% to around 87 TWh, overtaking lignite for the first time. Around 71 TWh of solar power was fed into the public grid, while a further 16.9 TWh was consumed directly.

The expansion of wind energy once again fell short of targets, which contributed significantly to net renewable electricity generation falling well short of the 2025 target. The solar boom continued across the EU: at 275 TWh, photovoltaics was ahead of electricity generation from lignite and hard coal for the first time.

The market for battery storage developed dynamically. The capacity of large battery storage systems grew by 60% in 2025, with a total of around 25 GWh installed in Germany. Electricity generation from fossil sources stagnated, while CO₂ emissions from electricity generation remained at the previous year's level.