2024: Germany’s Solar Production Exceeds 100 GW Mark

At the turn of the year, Germany’s total solar output, including all solar power plants installed in the country, has now exceeded the 100 gigawatts (GW) mark. These recent projections were made by the German Solar Industry Association, based on data from the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). The solar power plant portfolio covered around 14 percent of electricity consumption in 2024 (2023: 12 percent).

Germany’s electricity generation from sunlight reached around one million photovoltaic systems. in 2024, the association reported a rise in the country’s peak output,  which reached around 17 GW from the newly commissioned rooftops and open spaces. This is 10 percent more than in the previous year 2023 (15.4 GW).

Target– 215 GW By 2030

According to the legislator’s wishes, the installed photovoltaic capacity should increase to 215 GW by 2030, more than doubling. “With market growth continuing at roughly the same level over the next two years, we are heading for the finish line. However, reaching the next milestones of the energy transition is not a sure thing,” warns Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of the German Solar Industry Association. An attractive and reliable regulatory framework is a prerequisite for a corresponding willingness to invest.

“The construction of solar systems and storage systems is essential for the future supply of cheap electricity and for mitigating the costs of climate change. The next federal government should therefore remove market barriers and ensure an attractive investment framework,” says Körnig.

Almost two-thirds of citizens want a faster expansion of solar technology, according to a YouGov representative survey commissioned by BSW-Solar. In their opinion, the parties should commit themselves to the further expansion of solar energy and battery storage, for example by reducing bureaucracy or with suitable funding instruments.

Photovoltaic Market In 2024

The main growth drivers in 2024 were solar parks built at ground level, with a year-on-year increase of around 40 percent (6.3 GW). For solar power systems on company roofs, the association expects a growth increase of around 25 percent, taking into account subsequent registrations that are still to be expected (3.6 GW).

Demand for plug-in solar devices, so-called “balcony power plants”, continued to boom. Their newly installed capacity doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year (+100 percent/0.4 GW). After several record years in a row, however, the growth of solar power systems on private home roofs slowed last year. Compared to the previous year, their newly installed photovoltaic capacity fell by around 15 percent according to extrapolation of BNetzA data (power class below 30 kWp: 6.7 GW). In conjunction with a drop in the price of solar modules, this caused problems for many solar companies last year.