The figures in the recently published Wind Energy Report 2017 of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy Systems IEE speak volumes: compared to 2016, the contribution of wind to gross German electricity generation increased by more than 34% from 80 TWh to 107.5 TWh. By contrast, the proportions of energy sources such as brown coal (23%), hard coal (14%) and nuclear energy (12%) continue to decline.

"The production of electricity with wind turbines - onshore and offshore - is an indispensable part of our energy supply system", says publisher Prof. Dr. Kurt Rohrig, summarizing. "It's now important to continue with this development and create the conditions for successful integration into a future energy supply system." What is referred to as sectoral coupling is in fact one of the most pressing practical problems in the increasingly dynamic energy market.