Bundesnetzagentur has launched the first round of its 2026 Innovation Tender, inviting bids for 475 MW of renewable energy capacity
The auction allows multiple renewable technologies and hybrid projects, including solar, wind, and storage combinations
It also reported lower-than-expected participation in the February 1, 2026, solar auction
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has opened bidding for 475 MW of capacity under its latest Innovation Tender. This represents the first half of a planned 950 MW tender volume for 2026 in this category, split evenly across 2 bidding dates during the year.
Bids may be submitted for technologies spanning solar, wind, biomass, storage, geothermal, and hydroelectric power plants.
Ground-mounted solar projects on agricultural land also qualify. However, such bids will not be allowed if the total installed capacity of agrivoltaic projects commissioned from January 1, 2023, exceeds 80 GW. As of January 31, 2026, the registered capacity stands at 16.5 GW, well below the limit.
Bids for this round are capped at €0.0713/kWh, the maximum bid price for this category for the year 2026 (see Germany Lowers Rooftop Solar, Wind Tender Price Caps for 2026). In the previous round that concluded on September 1, 2025, the weighted average winning bid was set at a much lower level of €0.0531/kWh (see Germany’s Innovation Tender Attracts Over 2 GW In Bids).
The agency launched the tender on March 27, 2026, with the last date for bid submission being May 4, 2026, since May 1 is a holiday.
Meanwhile, the agency reported subdued interest in its 283 MW solar tender (February 1, 2026) for installation on buildings and noise barriers. It received 98 bids for a combined capacity of 177 MW, selecting 85 bids with 155 MW capacity.
Winning bids in this round ranged from €0.0788/kWh to €0.10/kWh, whereas the weighted average was €0.0956/kWh, slightly below the previous round’s €0.0966/kWh (see Germany Awards 281 MW Under Rooftop Solar Auction).
“In the tender for rooftop solar installations, the submitted bid volume was below the tendered volume, but the winning bids remained stable,” said the Bundesnetzagentur President Klaus Müller. In comparison, the tender for onshore wind turbines was heavily oversubscribed with winning bids falling down significantly, he added.
The next tender round for solar installations on buildings and noise barriers is scheduled for June 1, 2026.
Recently, the German government adopted the 2026 Climate Action Programme, which is backed by €8 billion in funding, as it aims to reduce its GHG emissions by at least 65% from 1990 levels by 2030. It includes provisions to introduce an additional 12 GW of tenders for onshore wind power.
However, German solar association BSW-Solar said there exists a ‘significant gap between aspiration and reality’. It calls for putting a stop to the planned elimination of compensation claims for wind and solar park operators in the event of temporary grid congestion. It also calls for the removal of structural barriers for renewable energies by easing and speeding up grid expansion, grid connection processes for storage, and renewables.
