Germany hits 62.7% renewables in 2024 electricity mix, with solar contributing 14% – pv magazine International

[u/DVMirchev]

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/01/03/germany-hits-62-7-renewables-in-2024-energy-mix-with-solar-contributing-14/

[u/MeteorOnMars]

A while back someone claimed to me that renewables would never be significant.

I asked him for a specific goalpost that would prove his statement wrong.

We settled on “a large country like Germany reaching 50% renewable electricity over a year”.

Today that goalpost is passed. Nice.

[u/DVMirchev → u/MeteorOnMars]

20-25 years ago we were told that any grid will collapse if renewable penetration is above 5%. Yet here we are

[u/Qinistral → u/DVMirchev]

On the other hand, 20 years ago we were told we were at peak oil and we'd run out soon. Now there is a glut on the market.

[u/CatalyticDragon → u/Qinistral]

Which might have been true had all things remained equal. But oil prices went up and that made the more expensive sites (deeper deposits, shale) profitable to access.

Increasing, perhaps, this oversupply is due to renewables leveling off demand. EVs have cut oil demand by almost 2 million barrels every single day and that figure will grow to tens of millions in the 2030s.

EVs are now around 20% of global new car sales, an astonishing jump from 2% in 2018.

[u/Qinistral → u/CatalyticDragon]

I’m doing my part. Just got an EV this month! Let’s go!