Jul 30 - Germany Breaks 25% Renewable Energy Barrier

Germany produced 67.9 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy in the first half of 2012, a record high and an increase of 19.5 percent from the same period last year, industry figures showed on Thursday.

Renewables now account for 25 percent of energy production, up from 21 percent last year, the country's energy industry[..]ociation (BDEW) said in a statement that reinforced Germany's position as a leader in green technology.

Wind energy was the largest contributor of green power, accounting for 9.2 percent of all energy output, BDEW said.

Biomass, or material acquired from living organisms, accounted for 5.7 percent and solar technology for 5.3 percent.

Solar energy saw the biggest increase, up 47 percent from the previous year. Germany is the world's top market for power converted from solar radiation and its installed capacity accounts for more than a third of the global total.

Germany aims to derive 35 percent of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2035.