The second quarter of 2011 saw renewable energy contribution rise to nearly 10% of the UKs electricity supply. Total contribution by green generators rose 50% on last year to 7.86TWh (Terawatt Hours).

Statistics released last Thursday by the Department of Energy and Climate Change have revealed the wind sector leads the way on growth figures, with 120% output rise year on year, followed by Hydroelectricity, with 75%.

Contributing factors to this surge are the steady increase in capacity of offshore wind farms and biomass power plants; however weather conditions have also helped, with low wind generation in Q2 2010, combined with a low energy drain in 2011 due to the mild spring.

The UK still lags behind the leading green nations in Europe. Germany recorded 20.8% renewable contribution to their total electricity supply in the first two quarters of 2011. The difference? Heavy investment in the sector is clearly a leading contributor. Germanys private sector invested 26 billion Euro into their Renewable Sectors in 2010, in contrast the UK invested 3.3bn euros (£2.1bn).