BERLIN/BONN (dpa-AFX) – Fewer solar installations are being set up on German rooftops. Private individuals, in particular, have registered significantly fewer new systems compared to a year ago, according to an analysis by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) for dpa. With a maximum output of 1.15 gigawatts, the growth in the residential sector lags 22 percent behind last year. In the third quarter of 2023, the figure was still 1.81 gigawatts of maximum output.
Carsten Kornig, Managing Director of the German Solar Industry Association, attributes the declining numbers to several factors. On one hand, the special boom caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the energy crisis has come to an end; on the other, the financial situation of many households has worsened. However, there could be a certain boost in the fourth quarter if customers, fearing the abolition of incentives, bring forward their purchasing plans. Fundamentally, there remains a high level of interest in such systems.
Less solar capacity is also being installed on and around commercial buildings. Here, the association counts 0.6 gigawatts of newly installed maximum capacity, 12 percent less than a year ago. Kornig also cites the ebbing energy crisis and a difficult economic environment as reasons for this decline. Additionally, government plans for subsidy cuts are causing uncertainty.
Balcony Solar Systems Also Falter
While the maximum output of balcony solar systems rose by 15 percent to 0.17 gigawatts, the overall growth is slowing down. The number of newly installed systems has already declined, as shown by data from the Market Master Data Register. The boom has lost momentum, Kornig says. Precise figures are harder to determine in this segment, as a significant portion of systems may not be reported to the Federal Network Agency.
The only clearly positive development is seen in ground-mounted solar installations. Here, newly installed capacity has surged by 89 percent to 2.41 gigawatts of maximum output. According to Kornig, this is mainly due to expiring reporting deadlines. However, tender volumes for large solar parks have also grown significantly in recent years.
The enormous increase in ground-mounted installations is enough to push overall solar expansion into positive territory. Total capacity has grown by 22 percent. The high output from open spaces is being delivered by several hundred solar parks.
