Add up 376.57 MW of new PV capacity Germany's Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) says the country installed in December 2018, and you will see the country exited 2018 with 2.96 GW in total. This makes the year 2018 the first year since 2013 when Germany has not only met but exceeded its annual target of 2.5 GW.
In 2017, Germany fell short of its annual target by 40%, installing only 1.75 GW (see Germany's 1.75 GW Of PV In 2017 Misses Target). Now in 2018, the country's solar market has grown by more than 69% YoY.
A detailed look at the numbers show the year 2018 scored over the previous year every single quarter. In 2018, Germany added more than 500 MW every quarter, compared to 2017, when only second quarter deployment was 550 MW. December 2018 installations were the highest during any month in 2018.
One reason for the year-end run was that the Government's plans to cut incentives for commercial size PV systems became public in early November, basically at the same time it had published details for the additional solar tenders (1 GW in 2019, 1.4 GW in 2020 and 1.6 GW in 2020). The December additions would have been likely higher if investors had learned earlier about the plans and if more low cost modules had been available, but at the end of last year there was a sudden shortage in Europe as the Chinese market had picked up speed again.
Germany's cumulative PV capacity at the end of December 2018 was 45.9 GW, comprising 10.56 GW added before 2010 and 35.36 GW installed since 2010.
Due to the high demand, feed-in tariffs will be reduced according to plans beginning February 2019. Details about the cuts are available on the agency's website. Once Germany achieves 52 GW of cumulative capacity, the FIT regime is scheduled to come to an end.
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