Germany renewable heating and cooling from biogas
Germany renewable heating and cooling from biogas stood at 15,427 GWh in 2025, according to German Environment Agency (UBA) / Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics (AGEE-Stat). It is one of the indicators in the Renewable energy: shares, investment and avoided emissions table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1990 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Renewable energy: shares, investment and avoided emissions table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 209,848 | 197,320 | 186,757 | 204,110 | 195,161 | 176,928 | 179,073 | 174,893 | 170,514 | 165,999 | |
| Biogas | 15,427 | 15,944 | 14,906 | 15,857 | 15,015 | 14,339 | 13,783 | 13,304 | 12,980 | 12,306 | |
| Biomethane | 4,505 | 4,795 | 4,982 | 4,797 | 4,982 | 4,216 | 3,983 | 3,861 | 3,740 | 4,039 |
Understanding germany renewable heating and cooling from biogas
Raw agricultural gas and upgraded biomethane channeled into thermal generation comprise this metric, detailing total renewable heat consumption in gigawatt-hours. The scope includes thermal energy captured from on-farm biogas plants, industrial digestion facilities, sewage treatment gas systems, and landfill sites, alongside biomethane injected into gas distribution pipelines and burned in heating boilers. This row isolates gaseous renewable fuels, setting it apart from sibling series dedicated to solid timber fuels and liquid bio-heating oils. It specifically tracks useful thermal energy consumed for space and process heating, excluding biogas consumed exclusively for electricity generation where waste heat is discarded.
Substrate digestion and biogas output vary across agricultural seasons, requiring annual reporting cycles to track this series accurately and absorb seasonal fluctuations in building heating demand. Revisions to early statistical releases take place as agricultural operational surveys, biomethane pipeline injection registries, and renewable heat verification certificates are audited. When examining period-to-period figures, analysts must differentiate between on-site heat utilization at local digesters and biomethane piped to distant commercial or residential heating boilers. A major pitfall lies in equating total biogas production with this metric, as significant quantities of biogas are utilized strictly for power generation without heat recovery, and only useful captured thermal energy enters this balance.
Frequently asked questions
- What gas sources are counted under this renewable heating metric?
- It includes gas produced from agricultural substrates, organic waste digestion, sewage treatment plants, landfill gas, and upgraded biomethane.
- Is all biogas produced in the country included in this series?
- No, it measures only the useful thermal energy consumed for heating and cooling, excluding biogas that is converted to electricity without heat capture.
- Does this row include biomethane injected into public natural gas pipelines?
- Yes, biomethane injected into gas grids and subsequently withdrawn by consumers for space or process heating is counted within this balance.