Energy transition: Criticism of plans rich for new small solar systems

The plans of Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) for the state funding for new small solar systems encounter criticism. The Federal Association of Solar Economics said that the implementation of such a project would endanger the climate goals and severely damage the industry with its approximately 150,000 employees. Reliable investment conditions are needed. In addition, a funding for solar power, which cannot be used up itself.

The Greens called for protests. “The friends of the decentralized energy transition in citizens’ hands now have to get up. Whether municipalities, companies, farmers and climate protectors – rich politics has many losers,” warned the deputy Greens boss Sven Giegold in the “Augsburg Allgemeine”. Photovoltaic systems on roofs are the most environmentally friendly form to create energy.

New, small PV systems already calculated on the market today and did not need any funding, said Reiche of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. The prices for systems and memory have dropped significantly. However, the CDU politician does not want to change anything about the feed-in tariff for existing solar systems with reference to existing protection. Reiche continued to the newspaper, the large number of non -controllable, small solar systems in the uncontrolled food and put the network under stress. “That is why PV systems should be connected to power storage and controllable, participate in the market and market their electricity.”

The boom in solar energy in Germany increasingly makes it difficult to control the power grids, as had resulted in an analysis by the German Institute for Economic Research a year ago. This could lead to temporary bottlenecks in current networks. PV current must be integrated into the electricity system efficiently.

Association criticizes rich

Instead of leading “harmful debates” about a throttling of the energy transition tempo in photovoltaics, the Federal Government should consistently tackle the upcoming tasks of the energy transition, the Federal Association of Solar Economics demanded. He called the further expansion of photovoltaics, a faster expansion of storage and networks as well as integration of the generated solar power into the electricity system.

According to a survey among solar installers, only four out of ten customers would buy a solar power system in the home segment without funding, the association said.

Anyone who generates solar power on their roof and feeds into the network will receive a fixed amount per kilowatt hour. This varies according to the size of the system, type of feed -in and time of commissioning. Small, newly installed PV systems that are operated for self -supply and excess feedback have received the following remuneration rates in the fixed feed -in tariff since the beginning of August – for system services up to 10 kilowatts of 7.86 cents per petrol of Kilowatt hours, 6.80 cents per kilowatt hour. The so -called feed -in tariff – i.e. the amount that can be obtained for solar power fed into the network – is reduced by one percent every six months. The last cut was made on August 1st.

Energy Minister Reiche generally strives for a change of course at the energy transition. The costs would have to be down, she told the German Press Agency in mid-July. She had already proposed that operators of green electricity systems should in future participate in the financing of the power grid expansion. It takes more controllability to compensate for the volatility of electricity generation through renewable energies from wind and sun. At the end of summer, Reiche wants to present a “reality check” for the energy transition. It is eagerly awaited which concrete conclusions are drawn from it.

Rich predecessor Robert Habeck (Greens) had pushed the expansion of the green electricity primarily from wind and sun with various measures. Renewable energies should play a key role so that climate goals can be achieved. However, the expansion of the power grids does not keep up. Due to the lack of networks, renewable systems must be throttled again and again. Compensation measures against network passes cost a lot of money.