Germany has surpassed its solar expansion target for 2023. Already in August 2023, the expansion goal of nine gigawatts was achieved. By the end of October, an additional eleven gigawatts of capacity had been installed.

The overarching goal of the federal government is to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. The energy sector, in particular, plays a key role, as the decarbonization of buildings, industry, and transportation is closely linked to the energy used. By 2030, the share of renewable energy is intended to rise to 80 percent for this purpose. As of today (11/2023), a little over half comes from renewable sources.

Solar expansion pace needs to increase

However, the target of nine gigawatts for 2023 is relatively low when considering the goals for the coming years. For 2024, 13 gigawatts (GW) are planned, 18 GW in 2025, and 22 GW in 2026. If the current expansion continues until the end of the year, up to 13 GW of additional solar capacity could be gained in 2023.

In total, around 75 percent of the expansion in 2023 is attributed to rooftop installations. A quarter of the additional solar installations were on open spaces. Brandenburg achieved the highest increase per inhabitant with 567 kW per inhabitant, while Berlin performed the worst with 22 kW.

The main reason for the massive solar expansion is primarily the decreased prices of solar cells. In addition, many companies have been investing in PV systems since the beginning of the energy crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine to hedge against highly fluctuating energy costs.

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