The German market, which in the past had fallen to around 2 GW per year due to the revision of the FIT and changing market conditions, has seen steady growth in both solar and storage systems over the past few years.

In this column, we introduce the report “photovoltaic expansion on the home stretch” presented by the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) at the renewable energy and solar exhibition, “Smarter E Europe”, held in Munich, Germany, in June 2024.

Source: https://www.solarwirtschaft.de/en/2024/06/19/photovoltaic-expansion-on-the-home-stretch/

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Photovoltaic expansion on the home stretch

Berlin/Munich, 19 June 2024:
Well over 100,000 employees in the German solar industry are working hard to advance the energy transition and climate protection as a whole. Last year, Germany’s domestic solar industry achieved a turnover of around 30 billion euros, thanks to sales of over one million solar power installations and around 575,000 storage systems. This follows from data analyzed by the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), which the industry association published at the opening of The smarter E Europe exhibition in Munich (see press graphic).

Graph 1. No. of workers in German PV industry (in 2023):

Graph 2. Turnover of the German PV industry (in 2023):

Following a doubling of domestic sales of photovoltaic systems and solar power storage systems last year, BSW-Solar’s forecast for 2024 is for continued growth in the low double-digit percentage range for newly installed PV and storage capacity. This would put the expansion of photovoltaics on the home stretch of the energy transition. By 2030, the share of solar power in covering Germany’s electricity demand is to be roughly doubled, from the current 12% to around 25%.

Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of the German Solar Industry Association, added the following: “Around 40% of this ambitious goal has been achieved, thanks to the incredible support for solar power on the part of the population at large. The next stages of the energy transition, however, will require more peak performance by all participants. When it comes to climate protection, business and political players are also going to have to stay on the ball”

Graph 3. Photovoltaic installation target in 2030 (approx. 40% achievement):

According to BSW, the corona pandemic and the energy crisis also provided an additional growth stimulus for the solar industry. “In recent years,” explains Körnig, “these developments led to a special economic boom in the area of residential solar power in Germany, as well as a small energy revolution on domestic balconies.” Although recently the demand for solar rooftop installations among private property owners has cooled slightly, it remains at a high level. What’s more, never before have so many plug-in solar devices been put into operation per month as in April and May of 2024.

Körnig sees the main growth drivers over the next two years in the “solar electrification of open spaces and company rooftops.” According to data published by the Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s federal network agency, 81% more solar power was commissioned on company roofs in the first four months of this year than in the comparable analysis period last year. In a YouGov survey of some 450 companies with PV-compatible rooftops conducted in late May on behalf of BSW-Solar, more than half (56%) indicated that they plan to install a solar system within the next three years. Four out of ten companies also plan to electrify their vehicle fleet during the same period.

On the occasion of opening of The smarter E Europe, BSW Managing Director Körnig had this to say: “With its 3,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 expected industry visitors, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry demonstrates one thing in particular: Our industry is well-prepared to step into a bright future where demand for photovoltaics on the one hand and innovative storage and charging infrastructure on the other will bring about rapid growth in the coming years. As the transition in the transport and heating sectors gradually picks up momentum, we will see the ignition of still more solar boosters. Electromobility has begun its triumphal advance all over the world; before too long, the heat pump – despite its somewhat turbulent initial phase – is set to become the new heating standard.

A survey conducted by BSW-Solar of installation companies found that around 80% of photovoltaic customers in Germany’s residential segment now also have a home storage system installed. In addition to the solar installation, 40% also have also a heat pump and/or a wall box for charging an electric car installed.

In last year’s ranking of countries based on newly installed photovoltaic capacity, according to data from SolarPower Europe, Germany has jumped from sixth to fourth place, behind China, the United States and Brazil. “As a pioneer of the energy transition, Germany is once again moving into the fast lane when it comes to the expansion solar technology,” as Körnig is happy to report.

Nevertheless, BSW-Solar identifies a need to catch up in the area of production of solar modules and their upstream products. In contrast to the installation of solar power plants, the German government has so far failed to establish the necessary investment security for the construction of solar giga-factories in the internationally competitive and capital-intensive market. There is still much room for improvement when it comes to reducing bureaucracy as well.

Additional editorial note:
Market report on the German PV and storage market:
Just in time for Intersolar 2024, BSW-Solar, in cooperation with Fraunhofer ISE and Intersolar Europe, has published a market report on the German PV and storage market. “The German PV and Battery Storage Market” report provides the latest statistics on the German PV and battery storage market, as well as details on current funding mechanisms in Germany. It provides an overview of the current market situation and outlines the prospects and developments of the PV market and the role of battery systems.
The market report is available at the following link:
The German PV and Battery Storage Market | German Solar Association (solarwirtschaft.de)

Presentation for the BSW-Solar press conference on 19 June in Munich: The presentation for the BSW press conference with further data and industry trends is available as of 19 June 2024, 12 noon at the following link (German version):
https://www.solarwirtschaft.de/datawall/uploads/2024/06/PK_BSW-Solar_Handout_Intersolar2024.pdf

BSW Media library:
Current press graphics on the development of the solar and storage market in Germany can also be found in the BSW Media library:
(English): https://www.solarwirtschaft.de/en/press/downloads/
(German): https://www.solarwirtschaft.de/presse/mediathek/

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I think that the current German market recovery & development must be good example for the Japanese market.

Acknowledgments: We would like to take this opportunity to thank the source BSW for their presentation materials and data.