Solar power production in Germany up 50 percent on the year between January and September

BERLIN – German utilities say solar power production rose by more than 50 percent on the year over the first nine months of 2012 amid a boom in installations of photovoltaic panels.

The German utilities' industry association BDEW said Monday the solar power output rose to 25,000 gigawatt hours in the January to September period, from 16,500 gigawatt hours a year earlier.

It says solar power's share in the country's electricity production rose to 6.1 percent from 4.1 percent. Wind power gained slightly to 8.6 percent from 8.0 percent. Biomass plants accounted for almost 6 percent.

It says all renewable energies combined accounted for about 26 percent of electricity production over the first nine months.

Germany decided last year to phase out nuclear power by 2022 and replace it with renewable energies.