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This publication presents an analysis of photovoltaic (PV) system yields in Germany for the year 2025, placing the results in the context of long-term meteorological and operational data. The study combines nationwide solar radiation data with monitoring data from several thousand PV systems to assess regional performance patterns and deviations from long-term averages. The year 2025 marked a record for solar power generation in Germany. With approximately 87 TWh of electricity produced, photovoltaics became the second-largest source of electricity in the country, surpassing lignite. These record levels were influenced both by continued expansion of installed PV capacity and by favourable meteorological conditions. From a climatic perspective, 2025 was characterized by unusually warm and dry conditions. The annual mean temperature in Germany reached 10.1 °C, which is 1.9 °C above the 1961–1990 reference period and 0.8 °C above the 1991–2020 average. Precipitation totalled 655 l/m², around 17 % below the long-term mean. Solar radiation levels were also high: the national average annual global radiation reached 1,187 kWh/(m²*a), ranking among the most radiation-rich years since systematic records began. To evaluate the implications for photovoltaic systems, extensive analyses were conducted using satellite-derived solar radiation data as well as monitoring data from thousands of continuously observed PV systems available through the VCOM Cloud platform of meteocontrol GmbH. The analysis covers the period 2012–2025 and includes a detailed regional assessment of specific PV yields across Germany. The results show a clear north-south gradient in annual PV yields, with higher values in southern Germany and lower values in northern regions. In 2025, typical specific yields ranged from about 813–855 kWh/kWp in northern Germany to up to approximately 926 kWh/kWp in southern regions. However, the deviation analysis relative to the long-term reference period (2012–2024) reveals strong regional differences. Parts of eastern Germany and southeastern Bavaria experienced noticeable yield deficits despite the generally high national solar radiation levels. To complement the nationwide analysis, long-term monitoring data from the 1 MW PV system "Solardach Messe München" were evaluated for the period 2001–2025. Due to its long and quality-controlled measurement series, this reference system provides valuable insights into long-term relationships between global radiation and PV yields. In 2025, however, the system produced about 4.5 % less electricity than the long-term average, reflecting a regional radiation deficit in the Munich area. Overall, the analysis highlights that national records in solar generation do not necessarily correspond to record-high yields at the individual system level. While Germany experienced one of the most radiation-rich years in recent decades, regional meteorological variability led to significant differences in PV system performance. The study therefore underlines both the growing importance of PV in the German energy system and the continued influence of regional climatic variability on solar energy yields.