(Berlin) - The Federal Cabinet has approved the “solar package” presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK). The law aims to reduce bureaucracy in the construction and operation of photovoltaic systems and thus accelerate expansion. From 2026 onwards, solar systems with a cumulative total of 22 gigawatts will be installed annually; last year it was 7,5 gigawatts. According to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the goal is to increase the cumulative output to 215 gigawatts by 2030. Some of the focal points of the solar package:
- Balcony PV The registration of balcony PV systems with the network operator should be eliminated and the market master data register should be limited to just a few pieces of data to be entered. Counters rotating backwards are tolerated until a calibrated bidirectional meter is installed. The aim is also to enable balcony PV with the Schuko plug. A technical standard is currently being revised.
- Commercial facilities To date, systems with an installed capacity of more than 100 kilowatts have been obliged to market directly. Plant operators who are subject to the direct marketing obligation will in future be able to pass on their surplus quantities to the network operator - without remuneration, but also without direct marketing costs. This prevents system operators from continuing to limit their system to less than 100 kilowatts despite the higher roof capacity, even though they could potentially use a higher yield for their own consumption. In the future, a system certificate will only be required for installed capacity of more than 500 kilowatts.
- Community care A new model is intended to enable low-bureaucracy delivery of PV electricity within a building. The passing on of solar power to tenants or apartment owners should be largely exempt from supplier obligations and, in particular, exempt system operators from the obligation to supply residual electricity. The excess feed into the network is remunerated according to the EEG.
- Tenant electricity In the future, tenant electricity will also be subsidized in commercial buildings and ancillary facilities such as garages, as long as the electricity is consumed without being connected to the network. Simplifying the system grouping rules will avoid disproportionate technical requirements.
- Repowering For roof systems, the regulations for extensive renovations of existing systems will be significantly improved, for example to enable the use of more efficient modules regardless of the existence of damage.
In future, funding for open-space systems should also be possible in disadvantaged areas that were previously used for agricultural purposes. At the same time, a clear upper limit will be defined: If one percent of the agricultural land in a federal state is already occupied by solar systems, the state can close these areas to further systems.
Special PV systems
For “special solar systems” that enable efficient dual use of areas such as agri-PV, parking lot PV, floating PV and moorland PV, a separate sub-segment with its own maximum value will be introduced in tenders. To strengthen nature conservation, there is a new category “biodiversity PV”; In the case of agri-PV systems, nature conservation measures are particularly encouraged.
“Special solar systems” that enable efficient dual use of areas, such as Agri-PV, will be more strongly supported in the future. In Gelsdorf near Bonn, BayWa AG is testing how well Agri-PV protects the crops grown underneath from extreme weather compared to hail protection nets. © BayWa re AG
The expansion of photovoltaics on agricultural land will be limited to a maximum of 80 gigawatts by 2030. At least 50 percent of new solar systems should be built on, on or in buildings or noise barriers.
In order to lay connection lines for renewable energy systems, permission agreements have previously had to be negotiated with each property owner, which has led to considerable delays. The solar package introduces a right to lay cables on properties and traffic routes.
The solar industry welcomes the project
The solar industry welcomes the draft law on “Solar Package I”. The Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft eV (BSW) is convinced that it contains “a whole package of measures to reduce market barriers and will simplify the expansion of solar technology in many places. Many suggestions from citizens and entrepreneurs were taken up. “Private and commercial photovoltaic investors and climate protection will benefit equally from the planned disarmament of bureaucracy,” says BSW Managing Director Carsten Körnig. The simplifications “for almost all PV market segments” are a “big step into the solar age”.
Commercial system operators who are subject to the direct marketing obligation will in future be able to pass on their surplus quantities to the network operator. Photo: PV system at the company Bezold and Platz in the Gotha district with an output of 23 kilowatts, installed by Maxx-Solar. © Maxx-Solar & Energie GmbH & Co.KG
However, the expansion of photovoltaics must be accelerated, especially in commercial buildings. Here, sharp increases in capital costs had a slowing effect on demand. According to the BSW, the legislature should take increased capital and labor costs into account when granting market premiums in the future; i.e. increase them. In addition, PV systems manufactured in Europe should be specifically promoted in order to “compensate for location and scaling disadvantages in tough competition with Asia and America and to reduce import dependency”.
All BMWK measures are based on a process that began in March with the first nationwide “PV summit”. The BMWK, the solar industry, the federal states and the parliamentary groups then developed a “PV strategy”, which has now resulted in the draft law. The parliamentary legislative process starts in September.
On the BMWK website you can find a “Overview paper solar package".
Photos
Reduce bureaucracy, make installation easier: The “Solar Package 1” now approved by the Federal Cabinet is intended to accelerate the construction of solar power systems in all segments. © SMA Solar Technology AG
