Renewable Energy Capacity in Germany Grows by 21 GW in 2025

Germany’s renewable energy capacity for electricity generation continued to expand in 2025, according to newly released preliminary figures. Total installed renewable capacity increased by nearly 21 gigawatts, reaching close to 210 gigawatts by year-end—an annual growth rate of approximately 11 percent.

Solar power and wind energy accounted for the largest share of this increase, underlining their central role in the country’s energy transition progress. Photovoltaics remained the leading technology by capacity, while onshore wind power showed a marked acceleration compared with previous years.

Photovoltaics: Balanced Growth Across System Types

Newly installed solar capacity reached around 16.4 gigawatts in 2025, slightly below the previous year’s level. Roughly half of this addition came from rooftop installations, with the remainder originating from ground-mounted solar parks. This represents a shift compared with earlier years, when rooftop systems dominated growth.

By the end of 2025, cumulative solar capacity reached approximately 117 gigawatts. To meet long-term clean energy installation targets, average annual additions of nearly 20 gigawatts will be required through 2030.

Small plug-in solar systems also continued to gain popularity. Around 430,000 such units were registered during the year, accounting for just over 3 percent of total solar capacity additions.

Onshore Wind: Strong Rebound

Onshore wind power recorded new installations of approximately 4.6 gigawatts in 2025, significantly exceeding the previous year’s level. At the same time, around 0.6 gigawatts of older capacity were permanently retired, often replaced by more efficient turbines as part of repowering projects.

Total installed onshore wind capacity reached 68.1 gigawatts by year-end. Achieving the 2030 target of 115 gigawatts will require average annual additions of about 9.4 gigawatts.

Permitting activity remained strong, with authorities granting approvals for more than 20 gigawatts of new onshore wind projects during the year, pointing to rising commissioning volumes in the coming years.

Offshore Wind and Biomass

Offshore wind expansion remained modest in 2025, with around 0.3 gigawatts added. Total offshore capacity now stands at approximately 9.5 gigawatts across the North and Baltic Seas.

Biomass capacity remained largely unchanged at about 9.2 gigawatts, as new installations roughly offset decommissioned plants.