BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The Federal Ministry of Economics is planning cuts in solar funding. Accordingly, funding for new, small solar systems should be stopped. This emerges from a working draft for an amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) available to the German Press Agency as of January 22nd.
It is said that small solar systems in particular are now often economical without additional funding due to reduced costs, provided they can achieve high levels of self-consumption. Specifically, funding for systems with an installed capacity of up to 25 kilowatts is to be discontinued.
A spokesman for the ministry said that the amendment was still being prepared internally. The draft is currently still being worked on. There is a need for action regarding the EEG. “Goals of cost efficiency and security of supply have not been given enough consideration in recent years.”
Ministry: Small solar systems pay off
Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) had already made it clear that new small solar systems on the roof no longer needed funding because they were already worthwhile for consumers. The prices for systems and storage have fallen significantly. There should be grandfathering protection for existing systems.
The ministry spokesman said that the general public is currently using tax money to finance electricity from small photovoltaic roof systems, which could be economically viable without subsidies and also feed into the grid when there is no need, thereby exacerbating system problems.
So far, anyone who generates solar power on their roof and feeds it into the grid receives a fixed amount per kilowatt hour for 20 years.
Criticism from the Greens and the industry
The Green energy politician Michael Kellner said: “The promotion of solar on private roofs is a success story – millions of citizens have invested, the country has benefited. With her draft law, Katherina Reiche threatens to slow down this commitment.” The Green politician Katrin Uhlig spoke of an attack on the successful model of the energy transition.
The Federal Solar Industry Association warned of clear-cutting in solar expansion. The draft shows that funding for new private solar power systems should be completely eliminated. Even operators of new small photovoltaic systems should in future have to market the solar power they feed into the public power grid directly on the electricity exchange. “If these measures are actually implemented, the construction of new solar power systems on private buildings is likely to come to an almost complete standstill.” Managing Director Carsten Körnig said that the EEG feed-in tariff is still absolutely necessary for the majority of new solar system operators in order to ensure sufficient profitability.
More cost efficiency
The ministry’s working draft states that the EEG requires a fundamental reorganization for a number of reasons. “It is important to consistently align the EEG with affordability, cost efficiency and security of supply.” Renewable energies have arrived at the “centre of power supply”. Reiche had made it clear that renewable energies had to bear more responsibility.
The working draft sets the goal of increasing the share of electricity generated from renewable energies in gross electricity consumption to 80 percent by 2030. According to the energy industry, the share of renewable energies in electricity generation was 58 percent in 2025./hoe/DP/jha