The Federal Government of Germany has approved the legislative Solar Package of the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), setting the country officially on path to pursue 22 GW annual solar additions by 2026 while removing bureaucratic barriers—a move welcomed by the industry.
In 2022, the country installed 7.5 GW new solar capacity. The revised draft Photovoltaic Strategy was presented in May 2023 proposing the addition of 11 GW ground mounted and 11 GW rooftop PV capacity to be deployed annually from 2026 onward (see Revised Photovoltaic Strategy).
Prepared in consultation with several stakeholders, the package is to act as an enabler for Germany to achieve its 215 GW installed solar capacity target by 2030.
"We need more speed and less bureaucracy when expanding solar power and that is exactly what we are doing with the solar package," said BMWK Minister Robert Habeck.
Listed here are a few of the major points covered by the solar package:
- To achieve annual installations of 22 GW from 2026, the government will facilitate agrivoltaics, biodiversity PV, floating PV and carparks. A separate tendering segment will be introduced to promote dual use of spaces with up to 3 GW annual capacity.
- Additional expansion of PV on agricultural land is limited to a maximum of 80 GW by 2030.
- For 11 GW rooftop capacity, it will promote solar panels on commercial roofs, bringing in flexibility in the obligation to sell directly from 100 kW systems. Grid connection for small PV systems will be further accelerated by reducing technical requirements.
- System certificate will only be required from a feed-in capacity of 270 kW or an installed capacity of more than 500 kW.
- Repowering of existing buildings with solar systems will be promoted.
- To encourage participation of citizens in the PV expansion, the package will encourage community solar model. "With the so-called "communal building supply" it is possible to use PV electricity within a building together and unbureaucratically—without having to fulfill all the obligations of an electricity supplier as before," according to the ministry.
- For plug-and-play balcony PV, simpler approval system will be put in place. Interested consumers won't have to secure a registration with the network operator, and won't have to wait for a new meter to be installed.
- Tenant electricity will be subsidized on commercial buildings and ancillary facilities as garages for off-grid installations.
- Grid connection will be accelerated with a right of use for connecting lines from renewable energy systems. A simplified grid connection for PV systems will be extended from the current requirement of up to 10.8 kW to PV systems of up to 30 kW. In case the grid operator doesn't respond to such a request within 4 weeks, the systems can be grid connected.
Welcoming the move, local solar association BSW Solar called it Solar Package I and said it will set the course for a sustained solar boom as it can clear several market barriers, promoting access for private and commercial consumers.
In the future, it hopes the government will improve the current draft law with regard to increased market premiums to enable more companies to opt for solar.
Details of the Solar Package are available in this overview on the BMWK website.