For the first time, photovoltaics overtakes two fossil energy sources in terms of electricity production. However, it is not the most important electricity generation source.
Berlin (dpa, d.de) – Solar power installations in Germany produced significantly more electricity last year. Their share of domestic electricity production grew from 14 percent (2024) to around 18 percent, as the German Solar Association (BSW) in Berlin reported. This means that photovoltaics has now overtaken lignite (roughly 14 percent) and natural gas (around 16 percent) as an energy source for electricity.  
According to provisional figures for the year, the more than 5.5 million photovoltaic installations produced around 87 terawatt hours of electricity last year. That’s 15 terawatt hours more than in 2024 and another record figure. This was reported by the Association based on data from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.  
However, wind energy remains the most important electricity generation source, accounting for 27 percent of total production. According to the Fraunhofer Institute, renewables accounted for 55.9 percent of net public electricity generation in 2025 – the same figure as in the previous year.
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