German solar power output in week 11 rose to the highest level since September last year, while weekly wind output rose for the first time in seven weeks, data from grid operators compiled by German think-tank Fraunhofer ISE showed.
For the first time this year solar reached peaks above 20 GW with last Thursday's hour 12 averaging above 23 GW, the transmission systems operator data showed.
Output from solar installations reached its highest weekly level since last September with some 0.72 TWh generated in week 11.
Wind turbines generated some 1.22 TWh of electricity in week 11 (March 14 to March 20), the first weekly gain since wind reached a record 4.07 TWh in week 4.
Weekly wind output so far this year averaged 2.1 TWh/week or just below 12.5 GW each hour amid dynamic growth for installations and number of records earlier this year, the data showed.
Germany's combined wind and solar portfolio has reached the 85 GW mark with 45 GW of wind and about 40 GW of solar capacity installed, data from Platts Renewable Power Tracker showed.
Combined wind and solar output so far this year amounts to 28.1 TWh, moving ahead of coal-fired power output (26.7 TWh) and just behind lignite (30.8 TWh) for the first 11 weeks of 2016.
According to a trading source, combined wind and solar forecast for this weekend could exceed domestic demand on Easter Sunday, possibly peaking above 40 GW during the afternoon and increasing the risk for negative hourly prices amid a still volatile weather forecast.
