The expansion of solar technology in Germany is no longer progressing as quickly as in previous years. But the systems on private roofs are also producing more and more solar power.
The expansion of solar energy is progressing more slowly in Germany. This is indicated by figures on foreign trade and the production of corresponding systems presented by the Federal Statistical Office. According to them, 52.8 percent fewer solar modules were produced domestically in the first quarter of this year than in the same period last year. At the same time, imports from the most important importing country, China, also fell significantly: after five months of the current year, they are two thirds below the comparable figure from the previous year.
This means that fewer new systems are being added, but the number of systems is growing: In April 2024, 3.4 million systems with a nominal output of 81,500 megawatts were installed. That was almost 30 percent more systems than a year earlier, while the installed capacity increased by 20.5 percent. In 2023, the systems supplied almost twelve percent of the electricity fed into the grid in Germany, with a record 53.6 million kilowatt hours. More than a quarter (27.3 percent) of the solar power was generated in June alone.
All solar systems that feed into public supply networks and have an electricity meter are included. Smaller systems such as the popular balcony power plants are generally not included.
Among the electricity producers are 1.8 million private households, about one in 20 in Germany. For them, it is mostly a question of little money, also due to falling feed-in tariffs: In 2022, they earned an average of 183 euros a month from the solar power they produced themselves, almost a third less than seven years previously.
Communication from Destatis
Source: Stern
