57% of Germany's electricity now comes from renewables — and 430,000 balconies helped

Germany drew about 57 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources in the first half of 2026, up three percentage points on the same period last year, according to German Environment Agency data — renewables are no longer the challenger in Europe's largest economy; they are the backbone. Solar is the fastest-growing part: Germany added 16.4 GW of photovoltaic capacity in 2025 to reach 117 GW, then about 8 GW more in the first half of 2026 alone. Roughly half of last year's additions were rooftop systems — including some 430,000 balcony solar kits, small plug-in panels that let apartment renters generate their own power. Wind is expanding too, with a record 20.8 GW of onshore projects approved in 2025 and 4.6 GW built. The next contest, analysts say, is not generation but grids: moving all that clean power to where it is needed.

SDG 7 · Affordable and clean energy — Mechanism: infrastructure build