Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power play a vital role in Hesse’s electricity mix. In 2023, renewable energy accounted for 28.1% of the state’s gross electricity consumption, with wind energy contributing more than half (56%) of renewable electricity generation. This information comes from the 2024 Energy Monitoring Report, which evaluates data from 2023 and the first half of 2024.
Energy Minister Highlights the Importance of Renewable Expansion
“The expansion of renewable energy remains key to ensuring affordable and reliable energy supply for businesses and households. The state government is fully committed to advancing renewable energy development,” stated Energy Minister Mansoori during a press conference in Wiesbaden.
Solar Power Leads New Installations
The expansion of renewable energy in Hesse has gained significant momentum. In 2023, new renewable energy installations with a total capacity of 847 megawatts (MW) were connected to the grid, nearly doubling the previous year’s additions. Photovoltaic (PV) systems were the primary drivers of this growth. After 398 MW of PV systems were installed in 2022, the figure surged to 680 MW in 2023. Preliminary data from the first half of 2024 indicates another record-setting year, with 358 MW already installed.
This surge is attributed not only to large-scale installations on rooftops and open spaces but also to the availability of affordable balcony-mounted solar modules. “Many households can now reduce their electricity costs long-term by generating energy on their own roofs or balconies,” Minister Mansoori noted. “Open-space solar farms are also crucial. To support this, the Solar Cadastre Hesse was updated this year to include potential open-space installations.”
Diverse Energy Sources and Future Goals
In addition to solar and wind power, the state government is promoting other renewable energy sources such as bioenergy, geothermal energy, and hydropower. “Leveraging a diverse range of technologies ensures that energy supply in Hesse remains both affordable and future-proof,” said Mansoori.
The expansion of renewable heating sources has also been supported by the award-winning “Hesse Heat Atlas.” Since November 2024, the atlas has included waste heat potential from major wastewater treatment plants in the region. Plans are underway to integrate additional heat sources, such as bodies of water, into the atlas next year. Additionally, several renewable-energy-powered district heating networks, funded by the Hesse European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), are nearing completion. More climate-friendly projects are expected to receive funding commitments in the coming year.
Energy Consumption Declines
Reducing overall energy consumption remains a critical goal. According to the Energy Monitoring Report, Hesse’s final energy consumption fell by an estimated 1.1% in 2023 compared to the previous year. The most significant reductions occurred in private households (-3.4%) and the industrial sector (-5.2%). Contributing factors include milder weather and continued energy-saving efforts due to high energy prices.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, energy consumption has remained significantly lower. In 2023, total energy consumption was 724 petajoules (PJ), down from 813 PJ in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Challenges for Energy Grids and Supply Security
The growing share of renewable energy and the evolving energy mix present new challenges for electricity grids and supply security. Nevertheless, Hesse’s energy supply remains stable. This stability is reflected in the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) for gas and electricity, which measures unplanned service interruptions.
The SAIDI-Gas index for Hesse increased slightly to 1.91 minutes in 2023, while the SAIDI-Electricity index improved, dropping to 9.46 minutes—1.06 minutes lower than the previous year. These metrics underscore Hesse’s ongoing efforts to maintain a resilient and secure energy supply system.
