BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - According to a study, the increasing generation of solar power is leading to falling electricity prices. Without solar energy, the exchange price for electricity would have been 15 percent higher on average last year, according to a study by the consulting firm Enervis on behalf of the German Solar Industry Association. According to the study, solar power systems reduced the electricity bills of consumers, businesses, and industry by several billion euros each year, with an upward trend. Renewable energy producers such as photovoltaics have low costs.
In light of the study, the association once again spoke out against cuts in subsidies for solar systems. These would lead to a slump in PV expansion.
Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) no longer wants the government to require new, small solar systems in the future because they are cost-effective for consumers. However, this has not yet been decided by the coalition. Anyone who generates solar power on their roof and feeds it into the grid receives a fixed amount per kilowatt hour for 20 years.
In order to realize the price-reducing effect of solar systems on the price of electricity, photovoltaic expansion must continue to follow the legally established target path in the coming years—but this requires reliable framework conditions, said Carsten Kornig, CEO of the Solar Association.hoe/DP/zb
