Munich (dpa/lby) - According to the Association of the Bavarian Energy and Water Industry (VBEW), solar energy is likely to become the largest electricity producer in Bavaria this year alongside natural gas. In purely mathematical terms, photovoltaics could cover a fifth of Bavaria's electricity requirements this year, the association announced on Wednesday. The expansion continues to progress rapidly.
In the past year, an area the size of 75 football pitches was added every week, said VBEW general manager Detlef Fischer. Overall, systems with a rated output of 2100 megawatts have been installed. Depending on the wind supply, wind power covers about five percent of the electricity requirement in Bavaria. Last year only 17 plants with a rated output of 37 megawatts went into operation.
Bavaria wants to be climate-neutral by 2040 at the latest. According to VBEW, "about 130 soccer fields and 1000 residential buildings have to be equipped with PV systems every week. In the case of wind power, there are two systems per week with a nominal output of 5.5 MW each."
However, photovoltaics deliver six to eight times less energy in winter than in summer and none at night, said Fischer. This demand must be covered with other power sources, with storage or through electricity imports.
