Germany to add 22GW solar PV capacity annually from 2026

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Installed solar PV capacity in Germany is to stabilise at 22GW from 2026
The German Federal Minis­try for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) expects installed solar PV capacity to drop to 13GW in 2024 before increasing in the coming years. Chart: BMWK.

Installed solar PV capacity in Germany is expected to stabilise at 22GW per year from 2026 onwards, according to a report from the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar).

In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and Intersolar Europe, the report, The German PV and Battery Storage market, would put the country in line with its target to reach 215GW of installed PV capacity by 2030 and says it is “realistically achievable”.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The distribution between rooftop and ground-mounted is expected to be on par at 50% each, with continued growth across all markets, from residential to industrial and ground-mounted included.

Earlier this week, BSW-Solar published data for the first four months of the year, which saw a record installed solar PV capacity of more than 5GW. This represents a 35% increase over the same period in 2023. Despite that record growth, the BMWK expects solar PV to add only 13GW, down from the nearly 15GW of capacity added in 2023. However, BSW-Solar and Fraunhofer ISE expect 17GW of capacity added in 2024 and around 20GW in 2025.

By early 2024, the country had installed over 82GW of solar PV capacity overall, ranking among the top four countries globally in solar deployment – only behind China, the US and Japan. Residential rooftop solar accounts for 37% of all installations, commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop solar for 31% and ground-mount systems for 32%.

Region-wise, Bavaria has the highest residential solar capacity in the country per inhabitant with 668W. Bavaria is followed by Baden-Württemberg with 467W per inhabitant, and Rhineland-Palatinate with 434W per inhabitant.

In the utility-scale market, Brandenburg has the highest level of installed capacity per land area with 153 kW per square kilometre. It is followed by Saarland with 132 kW per square kilometres, while Bavaria closes the podium with 114 kW per square kilometres.

Among the key trends in the country shaping solar PV are its integration with battery energy storage systems (BESS), the rise in popularity of residential and commercial rooftop solar, small plug-in solar devices, and the expansion of utility-scale PV plants.

Some emerging concepts have also gained momentum, such as energy-sharing communities, carports PV, floating PV or agriPV.

These last three – car parks PV, FPV and agriPV – will receive dedicated auctions, through the provisions in the Solar Package I, which was recently adopted. Capacity tendered for these “special” solar installations will exponentially increase from 300MW in 2024 to 800MW in 2025 and subsequently to up to over 2GW in 2029. For this year the highest price volume is expected to be set at €9.5ct/kWh. However, Germany is awaiting grant approval under state aid law from the European Commission.

Markus Elsässer, founder and CEO of event organiser Solar Promotion, said: “The recently adopted Solar Package I marks a significant milestone in driving this positive dynamic into the future. It aims to provide additional stimulus to the market, reduce bureaucratic hurdles and further accelerate the expansion of photovoltaics.”

Residential BESS

BESS also represents an important part for Germany’s renewable energy transition, and so far has seen 12.6GWh of battery capacity installed. At the moment, residential storage system represent the bulk of the installed capacity with 82%. BESS is expected to reach an installed capacity of at least 100GWh by 2030.

Pairing residential solar with BESS surged from 46% in 2019 to 77% in 2023. Although the use of battery storage in the residential market has been used to optimise self-consumption, regulatory framework development is expected to provide benefits to the energy system that extends beyond self-consumption.

Read Next

June 9, 2025
US residential solar installer Sunnova has laid off more than half of its workforce, while a subsidiary from Delaware filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
June 6, 2025
rPlus Energies has secured more than US$500 million for an 800MW solar-plus-storage project in Emery County, Utah, US.  
June 6, 2025
Eternal Sun has acquired German solar simulator provider Wavelabs, which has resulted in the formation of a new subsidy, Wavelabs Eternal Sun.
Premium
June 6, 2025
Europe must secure the 'strategic segments' of the solar supply chain, according to experts at a PV Tech panel at this year's Intersolar event.
June 5, 2025
Singapore could sit at the “core” of new regional electricity grids in Southeast Asia, according to research from Rystad Energy.
June 4, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Enlight Renewable Energy is expanding its Gecama Wind Project in Castilla La Mancha, Spain, by integrating solar PV and battery energy storage systems.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece