Solar & Storage Projects Inundate Germany’s Innovation Tender

In Germany’s latest innovation tender held on September 1, 2024, the Federal Network Agency or Bundesnetzagentur received 154 bids representing a combined 1.856 GW capacity for solar PV or wind energy systems combined with secure generation or energy storage.   

This was an oversubscription against the 583 MW tendered capacity for this round (see Germany Seeking Bidders For Over 583 MW Renewable Energy Capacity).  

A vast majority of bids submitted represented solar PV systems in combination with energy storage. However, it was for the 1st time that bids were entered for wind and energy storage systems in the innovation tender with a combined 91 MW capacity.  

Nonetheless, the agency awarded a total of 50 bids with a bid volume of 587 MW, all representing solar and storage combinations.  

Winning tariffs ranged from €0.0674 to €0.0745/kWh while the weighted average winning bid was determined as €0.0709/kWh. This is significantly lower than the ceiling of €0.0918/kWh. In the previous round, this value was €0.0833/kWh (see Germany Awards 512 MW In Undersubscribed Auction).  

At 277 MW, most of the awarded capacity will be located in Bavaria, followed by 115 MW in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and 57 MW in Rhineland-Palatinate regions. 

“The strong oversubscription of the innovation tender continues the trend already observed in the tenders for open-space systems. The high level of participation gives hope that the expansion in the area of system combinations will also be sustained,” said Bundesnetzagentur President Klaus Müller.  

In its recently concluded ground-mounted solar PV auction, the agency attracted over 4 GW of offers with 495 bids against 2.148 GW offered, leading to low award values and low need for funding (see Germany Awards 2.15 GW In July 1, 2024 Utility-Scale Solar Tender). 

The agency has fixed May 1, 2025 as the date for the next innovation tender.