Solar industry is forecasting double-digit growth in added capacity of solar installations and of solar power storage capacity in 2024 / Every second company and over 60% of private property owners in Germany are interested in investing in a solar power system / After the solar boom on Germany’s residential rooftops and balconies, now commercial rooftops and open spaces are increasingly being used to harvest solar power / From 19 to 21 June 2024 in Munich, over 115,000 trade visitors are expected to attend The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry
Berlin, Munich, 18 June 2024: After last year’s doubling of the German solar market, the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) expects to see continuing market growth through 2024 as well. Newly installed capacity from solar power installations (photovoltaics) is expected to grow by double-digit percentage figures this year, which would again meet the German government’s annual energy policy targets.
This was announced by BSW-Solar, the interest group for the solar and battery storage industry, in the run-up to The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, which is taking place from 19 to 21 June 2024 at Munich’s exhibition center, and is expected to attract more than 115,000 visitors.
For the first four months of this year, the Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s federal network agency, has already registered over five gigawatts of newly commissioned solar power capacity – this corresponds to an increase of around 35% relative to the same reporting period last year.
The German Solar Association expects the high level of demand to continue beyond the year 2024 as well. Every second company (56%) and over 60% of private property owners in Germany have expressed an interest in investing in a solar power installation. This was the result of YouGov surveys conducted in late May on behalf of BSW-Solar among 438 company decision-makers with PV-compatible rooftops and 1,042 property owners.
Following what BSW-Solar has calculated to be a tenfold increase in newly installed capacity on Germany’s residential rooftops over the past five years, the focus is increasingly on commercial and industrial solar expansion, with companies now turning to solar electrification of their commercial rooftops and investing in commercial storage solutions. The construction of ground-mounted solar parks is also gaining momentum. In the first four months of 2024 alone, newly installed PV capacity on commercial rooftops grew by 81%, relative to the same analysis period last year, while there was a 74% increase in the added capacity of ground-mounted solar power plants. Germany has set itself the target of increasing the share of photovoltaics in domestic electricity consumption from 12% to around 25% by 2030. The recent passing of the federal government’s “Solar Package”, which entered into force in May, will likely make it easier to meet this goal. One of the notable measures contained in this legislative package simplifies access to the electricity grid and to suitable sites for photovoltaic installations.
Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of BSW-Solar: “Solar and storage technology is increasingly becoming the norm. After a full-fledged solar boom in Germany’s single-family home sector, the focus is now turning to the electrification of commercial rooftops and low-yield open spaces using solar technology. Last but not least, the run on solar balcony power systems is another indication of where things are headed. The reduction of bureaucratic hurdles that has now been passed by the German Bundestag will also allow the housing industry to increasingly install larger solar systems that will lower tenants’ electricity bills and make an important contribution to climate protection.”
Note for editorial teams:
To mark the opening of The smarter E Europe, BSW-Solar will hold a press conference in hybrid form on 19 June 2024. Please be sure to register for participation in this press conference: presse@bsw-solar.de. You will receive an access link with your confirmation of registration.
If you would like to attend in person, additional accreditation on the exhibition website is required. Further information on The smarter E exhibitions is available at: https://www.thesmartere.de
Press graphics on the topic are available at:
/presse/mediathek/
The BSW-Solar press team will be happy to answer any questions you might have:
Email: cerffr@ofj-fbyne.qr
Phone: 030 29 777 88 99
