New German Solar Target: 98 GW By 2030

• Germany has finalized 98 GW of solar PV as the country's new official target to be achieved by 2030
• According to the BSW, this would make solar PV account for around 17% of the national energy mix
• German solar association has welcomed the decision but feels it is insufficient to meet the country's climate goals

The German government has formally announced the national target of 98 GW of cumulative solar PV capacity to be achieved by 2030 in its Climate Protection Program 2030. This brings finally both clarity and investment security on a topic that had been causing headaches in the German solar community for a while. Only until recently, the government was planning to end the EEG support when the 52 GW cap on solar installations in the country were reached – and that is expected to be as soon as next year. As of August 31, 2019, Germany's total installed solar PV capacity was 48.65 GW (see 327 MW PV Installed In Germany In August 2019).

The 98 GW target achievement by 2030 would translate into solar PV accounting for around 17% of the total energy mix of Germany, according to German Solar Association BSW. The association has welcomed the plans of the federal cabinet to double the country's solar target but finds it still insufficient to meet the country's climate targets. It said this would not compensate for nuclear and coal emissions.

Calling the decision a step in the right direction, BSW argues that the market would need urgent improvement and quick legal concretization of the said target as well as quick removal of market barriers.

In a September 2019 study  by BSW, EuPD Research and trade fair The smarter E Europe had called for the country to triple the solar PV capacity by 2030 to 162 GW, and by 2040, it should further go up to 252 GW (see New Research Calls For 162 GW PV For Germany By 2030).