Germany Speeding Up Rooftop Solar Deployments

• BMWK is amending rules of the NELEV to simplify grid connection rules for smaller electricity systems of up to 500 kW capacity  
• It is also expanding exemptions from certifications for all such systems and for those with a maximum feed-in-power  
• The ministry says these rules are especially going to benefit commercial and private rooftop PV systems   

The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) is amending rules that it says will particularly benefit rooftop solar PV systems of up to 500 kW get grid connected, both for commercial as well as private properties.  

The ministry has submitted a draft of an ordinance to amend the Electrotechnical Properties Verification Ordinance (NELEV) to ease hurdles in getting renewable energy systems connect to the grid.  

A key point of the amendments is the exemption from certification requirement for electricity systems which until now was available to systems connected to a public low-voltage network. The exemption has now been extended to all systems with a total output of up to 500 kW and a maximum feed-in-power of 270 kW, irrespective of the voltage level. 

"This means that system certificates are no longer required for these systems. Rather, a simplified proof is sufficient, which can essentially be provided via unit and component certificates from the manufacturer," it explained.  

The government also plans to promptly amend the technical connection rules to enable the implementation of this extension while keeping in mind the security of the power grid.  

According to the ministry, this is part of a comprehensive overall package to further develop and modernize and digitalize the certification process for minimum technical requirements of electricity generation and storage systems. 

The ministry is also heeding the long-term demand of the energy industry to create a digital register for unit and component certificates at voltage levels that will further simplify the grid connection process for system operators and network operators, the ministry stated recently.  

With a digital register in place, the distribution network operator will only need the certificate number of the inverter installed in its system to check the certificates, making the process faster and easier to understand for all.   

The essential regulations for the new register will be inserted into the EnWG as part of the solar package.  

Officially approved in August 2023, the German Solar Package puts the country on the path to chase 215 GW cumulative PV installations by 2030. It would require the country to aim for annual additions of 11 GW ground mounted and 11 GW rooftop PV from 2026 onwards (see German Federal Government Approves Solar Package).