The German government on Wednesday gave the green light to a package of legislative measures meant to speed up solar energy deployment and reduce bureaucracy.
The measures, known as Solar Package 1, were presented by the economy ministry in May.
The solar package outlines comprehensive measures aimed at tripling annual solar capacity installations from 7.5 GW in 2022 to 22 GW in 2026.
To facilitate the installation of ground-mounted systems, various land types will be made available for photovoltaic use, particularly promoting agri-PV, biodiversity-PV, and solar systems on parking lots.
Bureaucratic hurdles for rooftop systems will be eliminated and rules for the installation of solar modules on balconies as well as grid connection will be simplified.
The package emphasises a balanced approach by considering agriculture and nature conservation. Solar installations will be supported in disadvantaged areas previously used for farming while adhering to clear upper limits to maintain a balance.
A separate tender segment will be introduced for special PV installations that enable highly efficient dual land use like agri-PV, parking lot-PV, and floating solar plants.
Efforts to expand rooftop solar installations to 11 GW annually involve addressing obstacles identified through industry consultations. Commercial rooftops will experience greater flexibility in direct marketing and the threshold necessitating system certificates will be increased to 270 kW feed-in power from 135 kW.
The solar industry welcomed the measures. Industry association BSW said that the legislative changes will remove market barriers and will simplify the expansion of solar energy in many areas.
BSW’s chief Carsten Koernig highlighted the positive impact of reduced bureaucracy on both private and commercial photovoltaic investors, as well as climate protection. He noted that feedback from citizens and entrepreneurs was incorporated into the law.
The streamlined processes will expedite procedures, enhance access to power grids, incentives, and solar park locations, marking a long-awaited step towards the solar era, according to Koernig.
