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Solar Energy

Germany still leading the way in e-mobility

April 24, 2025 ryansheehanrts

According to an analysis by The smarter E Europe on the international market launch of e-mobility, Germany leads with a high proportion of electric vehicles in its fleet. At the end of 2024, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) made up nearly 4% of the total passenger car fleet. This puts Germany ahead of the USA (1.7%), South Korea (2.1%), and Japan (0.7%).

The smarter E Europe: Debut of special exhibit on bidirectional charging

In absolute terms, the USA leads the way with 4.8 million electrified vehicles, followed by Germany with 2.4 million, Japan and South Korea with over 500,000 BEVs and PHEVs each. It is noteworthy that in the bus segment, South Korea and the USA have significantly more electric vehicles on the roads than Germany – around three times as many.

Germany, Belgium and Netherlands are the drivers

The picture in the EU is mixed. While new passenger car registrations fell by 3.4% in February 2025, BEV sales rose by 28.4% to 255,489 units. This increased the market share of fully electric vehicles to 15.2%. Three of the four largest markets contributed significantly to the growth of BEVs:

Germany: +41%

Belgium: +38%

Netherlands: +25%

Only France recorded a decline of 1.3%. Nevertheless, France remains a stable market with over 183,000 new registrations in February. Overall, the momentum of e-mobility in Europe remains positive.

Get your free day pass for The smarter E Europe under the promo code gentner_2025 here

As of 1 January 2025, the total number of passenger cars in Germany was 49,339,166. This included 3.35 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 1.96 million plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

In February 2025, 17.7% of vehicles sold in Germany were electric and 9.6% were plug-in hybrids. In the period from March 2024 to February 2025, the figures were 14.3% for electric vehicles and 7.16% for plug-in hybrids.

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With a political target of 15 million electric cars in 2025 (= 100%), 11.3% electric and 6.5% plug-in hybrids were achieved, which corresponds to about one-fifth of the target.

Significant expansion of the charging infrastructure

The charging infrastructure in Germany was significantly expanded in 2024, with around 30,000 new charging points and an additional 1.5 GW of installed charging capacity added. This represents an increase of 39.0% in the number of charging points and 25.4% in charging capacity compared to 2023. Demand is met at 122% across Germany and 73% in the five largest cities, pointing to regional expansion potential and structural deficits.

E-mobility is the focus of the Power2Drive Europe trade fair, which is taking place under the umbrella of The smarter E Europe from 7 to 9 May in Munich. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Germany leads the way in e-mobility

April 24, 2025 ryansheehanrts

According to a analysis by The smarter E Europe on the international market launch of e-mobility, Germany stands out with a high proportion of electric vehicles in its vehicle fleet, as The smarter E Europe has now announced in a market analysis. At the end of 2024, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) accounted for almost 4% of the total passenger car fleet. This puts Germany ahead of the USA (1.7%), South Korea (2.1%) and Japan (0.7%).

The smarter E Europe: Debut of special exhibit on bidirectional charging

In absolute terms, the USA leads the way with 4.8 million electrified vehicles, followed by Germany with 2.4 million, Japan and South Korea with over 500,000 BEVs and PHEVs each. It is striking that in the bus segment, South Korea and the USA have significantly more electric vehicles on the roads than Germany – around three times as many.

Germany, Belgium and Netherlands are the drivers

Germany: +41%

Belgium: +38%

Netherlands: +25%

Only France recorded a decline of 1.3%. Nevertheless, France remains a stable market with over 183,000 new registrations in February. Overall, the momentum of e-mobility in Europe remains positive.

Get your free day pass for The smarter E Europe under the promo code gentner_2025 here

As of 1 January 2025, the total number of passenger cars in Germany was 49,339,166. This included 3.35 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 1.96 million plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Dont‘t miss our pv Guided Tours and CEO-Talks – LIVE from Munich

With a political target of 15 million electric cars in 2025 (= 100%), 11.3% electric and 6.5% plug-in hybrids were achieved, which corresponds to about one-fifth of the target.

Significant expansion of the charging infrastructure

E-mobility is the focus of the Power2Drive Europe trade fair, which is taking place under the umbrella of The smarter E Europe from 7 to 9 May in Munich. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

3rd Germany Solar & Storage Conference 2025 discusses new trends

April 8, 2025 ryansheehanrts

With record-breaking solar PV installations and an increasingly sophisticated storage market, stakeholders across the energy sector—investors, developers, EPCs, utilities, and policymakers—must navigate a rapidly evolving landscape to unlock new opportunities and overcome pressing challenges.

Surging investments in solar & storage

Germany reinforces its status as Europe’s largest solar market. With the government targeting 215 GW of solar PV by 2030, demand for commercial & industrial (C&I) and utility-scale projects is skyrocketing. However, this growth is accompanied by increasing grid congestion and volatility, fueling the demand for advanced energy storage solutions.

Expert analysis: Battery storage as a business model for PV

Battery storage installations are expected to triple by 2030, driven by policy incentives, falling costs, and the rising need for grid stabilization and flexibility services. Innovations in hybrid solar-plus-storage systems, virtual power plants (VPPs), and AI-driven energy management are reshaping the industry, offering lucrative opportunities for investors and project developers.

Solar Investors Guide #4: Long-term storage with iron flow technology

Key market trends to watch

Corporate PPA & RE100 commitments

Large-scale corporate energy buyers are accelerating the adoption of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), ensuring long-term price stability and supporting carbon neutrality targets.
RE100 companies in Germany are increasingly looking at onsite solar + storage solutions to optimize energy consumption and reduce grid dependency.

Grid modernization & storage integration

With grid constraints posing a major bottleneck, battery storage and demand response solutions are playing a crucial role in balancing renewable intermittency.

Co-located solar + storage projects are gaining traction as developers seek to maximize returns by capturing peak energy prices and participating in ancillary services markets.

Regulatory evolution & market incentives

The German government is introducing new storage-friendly policies, including tax incentives, capacity markets, and reforms to grid fees, making battery projects more financially viable.
The EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan is set to accelerate investment in energy storage manufacturing, reducing reliance on imports and strengthening Europe’s supply chain.

Join the conversation May 6 in Munich

To gain deeper insights into these market dynamics and connect with leading investors, developers, EPCs, and policymakers, don’t miss the 3rd Germany Solar & Storage Conference 2025.

Date: May 6, 2025, Location: Leonardo Royal Munich, register here. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

navigating market growth, trends, and technologies

April 3, 2025 ryansheehanrts

Surging investments in solar & storage

Expert analysis: Battery storage as a business model for PV

Solar Investors Guide #4: Long-term storage with iron flow technology

Key market trends to watch

Corporate PPA & RE100 commitments

Grid modernization & storage integration

With grid constraints posing a major bottleneck, battery storage and demand response solutions are playing a crucial role in balancing renewable intermittency.

Co-located solar + storage projects are gaining traction as developers seek to maximize returns by capturing peak energy prices and participating in ancillary services markets.

Regulatory evolution & market incentives

Join the conversation May 6 in Munich

To gain deeper insights into these market dynamics and connect with leading investors, developers, EPCs, and policymakers, don’t miss the 3rd Germany Solar & Storage Conference 2025.

Date: May 6, 2025, Location: Leonardo Royal Munich, register here. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

A law that made history

April 2, 2025 ryansheehanrts

The law, with its core elements of prioritising renewables and a fixed feed-in tariff, was the starting point for the breakthrough of electricity generation from renewables. In the field of photovoltaics, it triggered a real boom in Germany – which, unfortunately, also belongs to the whole history of our industry, was literally choked by the then federal government in 2013 for short-sighted reasons – an unnecessary fate, by the way, that only a few years later the German wind industry also had to suffer.

Initial spark for a global development

But from a global perspective, the EEG provided the initial spark for a development that continues to this day. It was and is a decisive impetus for the global energy transition. In 2020, on the 20th anniversary of the law, BEE President Simone Peter stated that our EEG had been copied in around 100 countries around the world.

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Hans-Josef Fell (Alliance 90/The Greens), together with the unfortunately much too early deceased Hermann Scheer (SPD) one of the fathers of the law, to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude, pointed out in this context that China adopted our EEG with its exact basic terms in 2008 for wind energy and in 2010 for solar energy. The resulting development is well known.

Renewables are on the advance worldwide

To date, the EEG has borne much fruit, not least due to the economies of scale resulting from the boom: according to an analysis by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), the electricity generation costs for photovoltaic open-field systems in Germany are currently between 4.1 and 6.9 cents per kilowatt hour and are thus unrivalled in their low cost compared to all other energy sources. Renewables are on the advance worldwide. Last year in Germany, renewables accounted for 59 per cent of the total electricity production. Green electricity is no longer the exception, but the rule. The vision of a climate-neutral energy world is becoming more and more of a reality every day.

PV Guided Tours: Up close with the innovations

How we can continue to move forward together on this path and shape the global energy transition is the overarching question that is posed every year when thinkers, makers and decision-makers in the industry meet at The smarter E Europe and its four exhibitions to present the most innovative products, applications and solutions, develop new ideas together and identify new prospects. I am really looking forward to the days in May. See you in Munich!

The author: Markus Elsässer is the founder and CEO of Solar Promotion. For over 30 years, the group has been organising global exhibitions and conferences and connecting the movers and shakers of a sustainable energy world. The focus is on renewable energies, decentralisation and digitalisation, as well as cross-industry solutions for a 24/7 renewable energy supply in the electricity, heating and transport sectors.

The group comprises three companies: Solar Promotion, Solar Promotional International and Conexio-PSE. The team consists of around 80 employees. In 2024, around 110,000 visitors from 176 countries came to Smarter E Europe in Munich. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Market for hybrid power plants in Europe still in the starting blocks

March 20, 2025 ryansheehanrts

Combining solar and wind parks with large battery storage systems at a single location, known as co-location, offers many advantages. For example, the risks for the operators of the renewable energy generation plants are reduced by diversifying revenues, protecting against price cannibalization and shifting generation or feed-in to the evening hours. The economic efficiency of battery storage can be increased by cost savings due to a common grid connection point and a faster grid connection. Advantages for the power supply arise from fewer grid bottlenecks, avoided curtailment of plants and better utilization of scarce grid resources.

So far only small market share for hybrid systems

However, the market for renewable co-location projects in Europe is only just beginning. According to Aurora Energy Research, solar and wind farms with an installed capacity of almost 1.2 gigawatts (GW) were in operation across Europe in 2023, combined with large-scale battery storage. PV plus battery storage was the frontrunner here with 724 megawatts (MW), while onshore wind power plus battery storage was at 475 MW. According to SolarPower Europe, of the 0.8 GW of large-scale battery storage systems with a capacity of 1.1 gigawatt-hours (GWh) installed in Germany between 2021 and 2023, 11 percent were combined with renewable energy plants, primarily solar parks. In the UK, 12 percent of wind and solar farms were combined with battery storage or electrolysers, according to an April 2024 report by industry association Renewable UK.

Download now for free: Our new hybrid special

However, experts and industry representatives are seeing a significant increase in demand for large-scale battery storage and co-location projects. In Germany, project developers have currently submitted grid connection requests for 161 GW of battery storage capacity, which is a hundred times more than the 1.6 GW currently installed. SolarPower Europe also predicts strong growth in large-scale battery storage in its “European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2024-2028”. According to a medium scenario, the total installed battery storage capacity is expected to climb to 78 GWh, double the 2023 figure (35.8 GWh).

Growing interest in co-location projects

In a “high scenario”, installed battery capacity in Europe is expected to grow to 135 GWh by 2028. Large batteries, especially grid storage (so-called utility-scale storage), will dominate. Their share of newly installed capacity is expected to rise to 45% by 2028, more than doubling from 2023 (21 percent). As a result, interest in co-location projects is also growing, according to analysts such as Jannik Carl and Eva Zimmermann from Aurora Energy Research. Almost all large-scale PV projects are now combined with battery storage, says Stefan Müller, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the EPC Enerparc.

Co-located solar park for a resilient grid completed in Sweden

Valerii Lazarev, Projects Bankability Manager at WElink Energy, sees negative electricity prices (at peak times), bottlenecks and high costs for grid access as important drivers for co-location projects. EPCs could benefit from the hybridization of existing solar projects by flattening the production curve and delivering energy on demand and thus at higher prices. And this with comparatively low investment costs because there is no need to set up a new, expensive grid connection.

Largest hybrid plant in Portugal

The international developer, based in Ireland, is currently in the process of expanding a 219 MW solar park in Vaquieros (southern Portugal), which was commissioned at the end of 2021, in several phases into a co-location facility with a capacity of over 1 terawatt-hour, according to Lazarev. Initially, the existing 219 MW of PV capacity will be increased by a further 50 MW, followed by the construction of a 165 MW wind farm and then a 100 MW/400 MWh battery storage facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025 and should be completed by the end of 2027.

How to combine agri-PV with wind power and storage?

Europe’s largest co-location power plant is currently being built by the Spanish energy producer Endesa, also in Portugal (Pego, province of Santarém). The plan is to combine a 365 MW PV plant, a wind farm with 264 MW and a 168 MW battery storage facility. In addition, a 500-kilowatt (kW) electrolyzer will be installed to produce green hydrogen using surplus energy that the battery storage system cannot absorb.

Further cost decline an important driver

The continued decline in costs, particularly for photovoltaics and battery storage, is also an important driver for more co-location projects. According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in July 2024, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of solar parks in Germany is between 4.1 and 6.9 euro cents/kWh. When combining ground-mounted PV systems and battery storage, the LCOE is 6.0 to 10.8 cents/KWh.

Large battery storage systems in Europe are all the rage

Should battery prices fall to the predicted levels of 180 to 700 euros/KWh by 2045, the ISE even expects production costs for ground-mounted PV battery systems to be between 3.1 and 5.0 cents. By comparison, the production costs for fossil fuel power plants are significantly higher today: brown coal power plants cost 15.1 to 25.7 cents, hard coal power plants 17.3 to 29.3 cents, combined cycle power plants 10.9 to 18.1 cents and flexible gas power plants 15.4 to 32.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Nuclear power plants are between 13.6 and 49.0 cents/kWh.

Reduce construction and operation costs by 50 %

According to Aurora Energy Research, the actual increases in profitability (IRRs) that can currently be achieved by combining a solar power plant with a battery storage system in key European markets are in the range of one to just over two percent. The IRRs of individual solar parks were compared with those that are combined with a battery storage system.

Podcast: Prospects and pitfalls for investments in solar and large battery projects

RenewableUK points out the high potential cost advantages of co-location projects if regulatory barriers are removed and approvals are simplified. Combining PV projects with battery storage at the same grid connection point could reduce construction and operating costs by 50 percent. In addition, a more flexible energy system with the integration of storage in the UK would save 16.7 billion pounds (19.8 billion euros) in electricity system costs annually by 2050, which would also benefit electricity customers.

Complexity and regulation as obstacles

There are various reasons why co-location projects are often unable to fully exploit their potential cost advantages in practice and why the number of projects implemented is only gradually picking up speed. “In addition to regulatory issues, this combination of technologies is extremely complex in terms of structure and commercialization. Business models must be considered individually and, depending on local parameters, a single project can often be more attractive than a co-location project,” says Philipp Kraemer, Director Strategic Growth & Digitization at CCE.

Solar Investors Guide: Storage systems to revolutionize the grid

In Germany, for example, the so-called exclusivity principle of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has so far slowed down the economic viability of solar and wind farms combined with battery storage. It states that EEG-subsidized plants may only be charged with green electricity and not with gray electricity (from the grid) throughout the year, otherwise the EEG plant status or the subsidy will be lost. This severely limits a profitable, flexible operation of the storage system in co-location with a solar or wind farm for shifting the feed-in to high-price hours and for providing balancing energy (during which grid electricity is also charged).

UK, Ireland and Italy already further ahead

According to the solar package I, it should be possible to change the operating mode every two months from June 2025, and to charge the storage system from the grid and the renewable energy system in parallel from June 2026. However, Aurora analyst Zimmermann fears delays in the regulation coming into force in Germany, because the Federal Network Agency, which is responsible for the regulation, has not yet decided on a measurement concept. Other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy, which allow flexible operation of co-location systems, are already further ahead in this respect, says Zimmermann.

Expert analysis: Battery storage as a business model for PV

Intersolar Europe, which is taking place this year from May 7-9, offers a comprehensive overview of the latest products, technologies and solutions, as well as the major trends in the field of PV hybrid power plants. At the accompanying Intersolar Europe Conference, there will be a session in English from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, titled “Hybrid PV Power Plants II: Strategies for Matching Energy Generation & Power Demand.” On Thursday, May 8, the topic of hybrid power plants will be the subject of a session in English at the Intersolar Forum (Hall A3, Booth A3.150) from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Work to extend the ElyLab electrolysis test site for strategic technologies for Europe is starting

February 3, 2025 ryansheehanrts

The project is being funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg in the agenda set out for the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP). A budget of around € 7.6 million has been set aside for a period of three years. STEP has been set up with a view to supporting strategically important and newly emerging technologies and their respective value chains in order to strengthen the international competitiveness, security and sovereignty of the EU and to reduce relationships of dependence in critical fields of technology.

Also see: New electrolyser for industrial applications

“Our expansion of the testing infrastructure means we are shortening the development times of electrolysis technologies to a significant extent. This will strengthen the ability of our enterprises to compete,” said Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, on handing over the symbolic grant cheque on 29 January 2025 in Stuttgart. “The ElyLab will allow us to establish the conditions for future growth. This basic framework is more important than ever given the current economic situation,” added Hoffmeister-Kraut.

Electrolysis stack designs up to the multi-MW scale can be validated

Having opened the ElyLab centre, the ZSW already offers its customers the largest range of testing and innovation facilities for electrolysers in southern Germany. 10 test rigs with a power range of up to 500 kilowatts are already in operation in the ElyLab. With currents of up to 20,000 amperes, electrolysis stack designs can also be validated up to the multi-megawatt scale. The approved funding is now earmarked for new laboratory and office space, extending the test site by 400 square metres.

Also see: Spain – 1.5 GW green hydrogen projects of DH2 Energy in Extremadura

In addition to alkaline electrolysis (AEL), the range of tests on offer will also be expanded to include the process referred to as AEM electrolysis (anion exchange membrane). “The planned infrastructure expansions and the new test rigs for stack tests and component tests will almost double our testing capacity, and this will allow us to meet the constantly increasing demand,” said Dr. Marc-Simon Löffler who heads up the department of Renewable Fuels and Processes at the ZSW.

ZSW

Work on the electrolyser stack.

The aim of ElyLab is to boost innovation and to provide support for companies with the development of electrolysis products by way of test facilities and consultancy services. Water electrolysis is the key technology for the green hydrogen market of the future, holding significant opportunities for Germany as a technology hub and offering potential for global export for German enterprises.

Develop suitable accelerated ageing procedures

The rapid expansion of production capacity is essential, and there is also a need for a swift transfer of technology from scientific research to business and for quality control in the development of (upstream) products, in order to be able to achieve the ambitious expansion targets for electrolysers in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Validation procedures for materials and components right through to complete systems must be in step with actual practice in order to make internationally competitive products. Independent innovation and testing centres can make important contributions to this end.

Also see: Italy – Axpo partners for major green hydrogen project

For a successful market ramp-up, it will also be crucial to develop suitable accelerated ageing procedures. This is the only way to put in place the development cycles and quality control systems which are required as part of the product development processes in a much shorter time than has been possible hitherto and, in so doing, achieve the ambitious expansion targets for electrolysis. The test and analysis methods required for this purpose will also be refined and expanded at the ZSW in the course of the new project.(hcn)

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Solar Energy

Hannover Zoo uses half a gigawatt-hour of its own solar power a year

January 31, 2025 ryansheehanrts

The project planner CSAE from Wolfsburg has installed a photovoltaic system measuring around 3,000 square metres on part of the parking deck of the zoo in Hannover. The company specialises in the construction of commercial and industrial solar energy systems. The materials for the system were supplied by wholesaler Sonepar.

The new solar energy system, which will be fully operational in the spring, will generate around 548,000 kilowatt hours of solar power per year. This will be used almost entirely by the zoo for its operations.

Four weeks of construction

This is not the first solar energy system that Hannover Zoo has had installed. A system on the roof of the Gemeinschaftshaus and a second solar generator on the grandstand in the Canada-themed world ‘Yukon Bay’ have been supplying electricity to the zoo for quite some time.

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The realisation of the new photovoltaic system was supported by the Hannover region. This is because CSAE took part in the tender through which the region promotes solar energy systems. The company’s project was also accepted. After the acceptance, the concrete planning and installation progressed quickly. Within just four weeks, the generator was on the roof of the parking deck – much faster than expected. The zoo had originally calculated a construction time of three months. But the modules were already on the roof before the beginning of winter in 2024.

All components from a single source

Sonepar supplied a total of 1,650 solar panels, the associated mounting hardware, all solar cables and six inverters for the system. In addition, a power analyser and lightning and surge protection were installed, which also came from Sonepar.

Also see: New EU Solar Rooftop Standard unlocks huge potential

Thanks to the reliable delivery of the materials, the project partners were able to ensure that the plant was completed within the short time frame. ‘Our aim is to offer specialist companies an absolutely reliable supply of materials and to relieve them of as much work as possible,’ emphasises Sven-Patrick Pankla, field representative at Sonepar Germany. ‘That’s why we delivered the goods directly to the construction site at the zoo to save CSAE additional logistical effort.’

Site facilities supplied

The wholesaler’s Support & Service department also provided all the site facilities that CSAE would otherwise have had to organise separately. These included site fencing, a barrier and safety fence, as well as material and room containers, including furnishings.

Also see: France sets out clear regulations for mandatory solar installation on car parks

With this additional service, Sonepar is positioning itself as a provider of complete construction solutions. ‘Our goal is to support the specialist companies in the best possible way and to take work off their hands so that they can concentrate on the most important thing: the installation,’ says Sven-Patrick Pankla. ‘That’s why we offer our customers everything from a single source to make their work easier.’ (su/hcn)

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Solar Energy

Agri-PV: Still several hurdles to overcome

January 27, 2025 ryansheehanrts

Since this year, for the first time, agri-PV systems in Germany have also been subsidized through innovation tenders for so-called special solar systems under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). Twelve Agri-Photovoltaic projects with a capacity of 22 megawatts were awarded a contract and thus a market premium in the tender round in May 2022. In the new EEG 2023, the promotion of agri-PV through tenders will now be continued or permanently established.

In principle, this is welcomed by the industry as an important step. However, there is also criticism. BayWa r.e., for example, decided against the participation of Agri-PV plants in the innovation tenders “due to the complex legal conditions”, as Fabian Neu, Project Developer Germany, reports. He points out that Agri-PV plants are more capital-intensive than ground-mounted solar plants due to their special requirements as well as more complex technology.

Especially high-mounted systems have difficulties

The inclusion of Agri-PV in the new EEG leads to a significant increase of the area potential in Germany, which is positive. However, Neu says that it will be rather difficult in the near future for the highly elevated plants (for example, in fruit and wine growing) due to the material price increases, even with the additional premium for horizontal plants within the framework of commercial projects.

The bonus for agri-PV under the tenders is clearly set too low here, he adds. “With the new EEG 2023, we see the focus in the near future for larger solar projects primarily on ground-mounted Agri-PV systems for arable crops and permanent grassland,” Neu says.

Building law as a strong brakeman

Antonia Kallina of the Kehl Institute for Applied Research (KIAF) points to the hurdles for Agri-PV under building law. KIAF is currently involved in three research projects on Agri-PV and is working closely with Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg.

Did you miss that? Research project to accelerate the market introduction of agri-PV

In any case, the lawyer does not see the innovation tenders as a “gamechanger” for Agri-PV. “Up to now, Agri-PV plants have had to comply with the requirements of the EEG as part of the innovation tenders, specifically the subsidy law requirements of Section 37 of the EEG, which refer to the requirements of building planning law. These restrictions will likely mean that there will be no sustained push through the innovation tenders,” says Kallina.

Loan financing of projects also more difficult

Credit financing of Agri-PV projects is also made more difficult by the lack of privileges for Agri-PV plants in outdoor areas under the Building Code (BauGB), he said. This leads to the fact that mostly only temporary approvals for Agri-PV plants are granted.

This means that there is a lack of planning security for both the banks and the project developers. The only exception is if the local municipality has drawn up a project-related development plan for the construction of the Agri-PV plant. However, this is time-consuming and cost-intensive, according to Kallina.

Therefore now the voices increase, which demand a legal privileging of solar plants in the external area. Recently, for example, the district administrator of Lüchow-Dannenberg (Lower Saxony), Dagmar Schulz (non-party), pleaded for this in order to bring forward planned projects more quickly.

Selected suppliers Agri-PV

BayWaRe

BayWa r.e. offers the option of purchasing individual components for Agri-PV systems, such as semi-transparent special modules, through the company’s solar wholesale business. The planning and technical conceptual design as well as the construction of the Agri-PV system are then carried out by the farmer via a local installer. BayWa r.e. offers an “all-round carefree package” from the approval planning for the area and the grid connection to the construction planning to the construction of the Agri-PV system and the subsequent operational management as project developer or operator. However, in addition to the possible lease income for the farmer, there is an opportunity for investment participation. For the development of an Agri-PV plant within the framework of a project company, suitable areas of 10 hectares or more are being sought.

Zimmermann PV-Steel Group

The Zimmermann PV-Steel Group (Baden-Württemberg) develops, produces and sells substructures for larger Agri-PV systems with modules in horizontal elevation in various designs. Areas of application are fruit, berry, vegetable and arable farming.

A tracker system is also offered that places the solar modules in a vertical position for harvesting and tillage in order to use the maximum working width between the rows. In normal operation, the system tracks from east to west, thus also yielding up to 20% more energy than fixed systems.

Next2Sun

The Saarland-based company Next2Sun offers vertically mounted agri-PV systems with bifacial solar modules as a complete system – with trackers if desired – including inverters. Application areas are mainly permanent grassland and arable farming, whereby the Agri-PV systems can also be used as solar fences for property demarcation. The portfolio ranges from land leases for Agri-PV systems and their turnkey implementation to the sale of components and technical services for project developers and the installers of systems.

Other suppliers include AgroSolar Europe, Tube Solar, REM Tech, SunAgri, MKG Göbel. (hcn)

Also interesting; Viennese researchers have compiled facts about agriphotovoltaics

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Solar Energy

Photovoltaics have broken the 100-gigawatt mark

January 7, 2025 ryansheehanrts

The total output of all solar power systems installed in Germany exceeded the 100-gigawatt mark at the turn of the year. This is according to the latest projections by the German Solar Industry Association (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, BSW-Solar) based on data from the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur, BNetzA). In 2024, solar power plants covered around 14 percent of electricity consumption (2023: 12 percent).

Around 17 gigawatts newly installed

In 2024, around one million photovoltaic systems with a nominal output of around 17 gigawatts were installed on roofs and open spaces to generate electricity from sunlight. This means that the increase was around ten percent higher than in the previous year.

Also see: Investor newsletter – ELTIF offers new opportunities for investors

Target by 2030: 215 gigawatts

By 2030, the installed photovoltaic capacity is to increase to 215 gigawatts, more than doubling, according to the legislator. “With sustained market growth at roughly the same rate, we are entering the home stretch,” predicts Carsten Körnig, managing director of the German Solar Industry Association. “However, achieving the next milestones in the energy transition is not a sure thing.”

Also see: Expert analysis – The three strongest solar energy trends in 2025

New government must act

A prerequisite for a corresponding willingness to invest is an attractive and reliable regulatory framework. Further political efforts are needed to achieve this. “The construction of solar plants and storage facilities is essential for the future supply of affordable electricity and for cushioning the costs of climate change,” warns Körnig. “The next federal government should reduce market barriers and ensure an attractive investment framework.”

Expansion of solar parks driven

The main drivers of growth in 2024 were solar parks built at ground level. They grew by around 40 percent to a total of 6.3 gigawatts compared to 2023. For systems on company roofs, the association expects an increase of around 25 percent to about 3.6 gigawatts.

The demand for plug-in solar devices, known as balcony power plants, continued to boom. Their newly installed capacity doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, to around 400 megawatts.

Fewer systems for homes

After several record years in a row, however, the growth of solar power systems on private homes slowed. Compared to the previous year, their newly installed capacity fell by around 15 percent (capacity class below 30 kilowatts: 6.7 gigawatts). In connection with the drop in prices of solar modules, this lull caused many solar companies problems. (hs/hcn)

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