The German Engineering Federation VDMA Power Systems and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) said in a joint statement that the strong growth is attributed to a rush to get projects completed before a change in the renewable energy act that takes effect in August.
VDMA Power Systems board member Lars Bondo Krogsgaard said: "We are witnessing a race brought about by the uncertainty resulting from the discussion about power prices and distance rules ahead of the EEG 2.0.
"Because investors were not sure what the effect of the EEG would be in 2014, they have rushed to finish their onshore wind power projects."
About 260MW of new capacity was added in the first two quarters of 2014 to replace old turbines.
Total new additions in the 12 months of 2014 are expected to range between 3.3GW and 3.7GW.
The industry groups noted that the goal for the next few years is a reliable, stable growth level, pointing to the government target of a net growth corridor of 2.5GW a year, and dismantled capacity in repowering projects.
Image: The onshore wind power market in Germany saw a 66% increase in the first half of 2014. Photo: Courtesy of VDMA Power Systems.
