Green electricity production in April 2021 was slightly above expectations. Wind generated 102 percent of the planned electricity, solar 101 percent. “The lower solar yield in Spain in particular dragged the figures down”, says Markus W. Voigt, CEO of the aream Group.

Germany, for example, was very good at achieving 103 percent of its target for solar power, while plants in Italy even managed 112 percent of the target. “In Spain, on the other hand, production was much weaker at only 86 percent of target”, says Voigt. “This shows once again how important it is to have a broad regional spread.”

In terms of wind, production is now slowly but surely catching up with previous months of low wind. “April is above target at 102 percent”, Voigt says. Nevertheless, overall target achievement is still lagging, currently at 82 percent in the first four months. “Here we will observe over the year how the figures develop”, says Voigt. In any case, such data suggest the importance of a mix of energy sources as well. 

“For the renewable energy industry, dealing with Big Data is becoming increasingly important”, Voigt says. The plants provide a great deal of data that can be analysed more and more effectively. In this way, the plants can be operated more and more efficiently. To process the data, large computer capacities are needed – and new ideas: “A whole universe of young start-ups in the climate tech sector is emerging here right now”, says Voigt. “These are often extremely innovative and add a lot of value to existing investments.” On the other hand, they also offer additional potential for new investments in addition to pure plant creation.