According to calculations by the energy provider E.ON, in 2017 renewable energies generated more power than ever before. “From the beginning of January through to mid-November, …

… all solar, wind and hydroelectric power plant installations in Germany produced 131 billion kWh of electricity, which was more than in the whole of 2016,” explains Robert Hienz, CEO at E.ON. “This energy could be used to supply all households in Germany, some 40 million of them, entirely with green electricity,” adds Hienz. By comparison: in 2016 the onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic installations and hydropower plants generated a total of 129 billion kWh; in 2015 the figure was 125.6 billion kWh. The increase in green electricity is probably attributable firstly to storms Xavier or Herwart in the autumn. Secondly in particular in southern Germany, where the majority of the around 1.6 million solar installations are located, the sun shone much more often than it did in the previous year.