The year 2018 is turning out to be an interesting one for solar in Germany, what was once the world's biggest PV market. The country's Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has released the monthly PV installation numbers for September 2018. With the addition of 198.73 MW, Germany has exceeded 2 GW of installations in 2018 already, which means it has also already installed significantly more solar than in 2017 as a whole, when 1.75 GW was added.
While the September 2018 number continues to be in the 200 MW range as most of the months this year, it is significantly less than the 354.74 MW installed in August 2018 (see Germany Installed Over 354 MW PV In Aug 2018).
In the first 9 months of 2017, Germany installed 1,335 MW; this compares to a number that has significantly grown to 2,186 MW in the first 9 months of 2018. If the speed of installations continues in Q4/2018 like it has over past the 3 quarters with more than 500 MW installed in each, it looks like Germany will be able to easily achieve its 2.5 GW of annual installation target in 2018, which would be the first time since 2013 (see Germany's 1.75 GW Of PV In 2017 Misses Target).
However, Europe's solar sector association SolarPower Europe forecasts Germany to exit 2018 with about 3 GW of new PV installed. This assumption is based on low-cost modules being accessible after the expiry of the Minimum Import Price for cell and modules from China in September. It shared its outlook for Europe in a webinar on Oct. 30, where it also shared its expectations for the entire continent to install 12.6 GW during the year, up 37% from the 9.2 GW installed in 2017.
Germany's total installed PV capacity on September 30, 2018 was 45.14 GW, comprising 34.58 GW commissioned since 2010 and 10.56 GW added before 2010.
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