Solar power: Government wants to stop surplus subsidies
There is too much electricity in the German grid at midday in summer. Additional electricity from photovoltaics should then hardly be subsidized.
(Image: Daniel AJ Sokolov)
Subsidies for solar power are to be reduced in Germany. With the exception of small systems, solar power from new systems is to prove itself on the free market in future. And small systems are only to be rewarded if their electricity is worth something. In times of negative prices, they would no longer receive anything. Existing plants are to be protected.
The price on the electricity market is often negative, especially in summer at midday. Subsidized solar power producers with systems up to 100 kilowatts still receive money for their electricity, namely from the state. They also have to pay the negative electricity price, so they are asked to pay twice. The traffic light coalition wants to put an end to this. This is not just about money, but also about the stability of the electricity grid, which cannot dissipate too much electricity.
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Up to now, systems up to 100 kilowatts have been able to benefit from guaranteed feed-in tariffs. This limit is to be gradually lowered. For systems installed in 2026, the limit should be 90 KW, for systems built in 2027 75 KW and from 2028 25 KW. New systems with more kilowatts would then have to market their electricity themselves at current market prices. In addition, networked control systems will be required so that grid operators can intervene to regulate them.
No subsidies for negative prices
However, new systems under 25 KW should also generally only receive the guaranteed feed-in tariff if the market price for electricity is positive. This would put an end to the absurd incentive for more grid-damaging electricity; at the same time, it would become more economically interesting to invest in electricity storage systems. These can earn money when they absorb electricity at negative prices and a second time when they feed the electricity back into the grid at times when prices are positive.
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All the details have not yet been finalized. The planned amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) still has to be passed by the German government and then by parliament. According to one estimate, payments for renewable energies in Germany will reach 20 billion euros this year.
Solar energy is increasingly mandatory, which means that solar systems must be installed on new buildings or roof renovations. The details vary depending on the federal state, but the amount of solar power will increase significantly overall.
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