Solar PV system
Updated:
1. Legal bases
- EEG 2023 – Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz: regulates feed-in tariff and funding
- EnWG amendment (Solarspitzengesetz) – in force since 25.02.2025: regulates smart meter obligation and grid control
- GModG (Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz), § 106 – adopted by Bundestag and Bundesrat 2026: introduces, for the first time, a nationwide, staggered solar obligation (see section 9)
RECOMMENDED PROVIDERS
2. Statutory duties (order)
| Step | Requirement | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register with the grid operator (feed-in contract) | all systems |
| 2 | Enter in the Marktstammdatenregister (MaStR) | all systems |
| 3 | Install smart meter | from 2 kWp (60 % rule), since 25.02.2025 |
| 3a | Additionally install control box (remote controllability) | from 7 kWp to 100 kWp, since 25.02.2025 |
| 4 | Tax office – annual return | from >30 kWp |
Planning permission: generally not required for rooftop systems. Exceptions: listed-building protection, ground-mounted systems (always subject to approval).
Trade registration: for private individuals not required (counts as a private investment).
Insurance: Extension of the buildings insurance is required (~50–150 €/year extra).
Grid connection: Processing time 4–8 W weeks. From 30 kWp: grid compatibility assessment.
Smart meter and control box requirement (Solarspitzengesetz)
Since 25.02.2025, a two-stage regulation has applied:
- 2 up to under 7 kWp: The 60% feed-in limit applies. A smart meter is provided for; a control box (remote controllability by the grid operator) is not strictly required.
- 7 to 100 kWp: In addition to the smart meter, a control box is mandatory, so that the grid operator can regulate the system if needed.
- Without a control box (if required from 7 kWp): feed-in is permanently throttled to 60 % of nominal output → up to 30 % loss of revenue.
- Over 100 kWp: unchanged remote control requirement as before, plus a data logger requirement for continuous monitoring.
- Grandfathering: Systems that were commissioned before 25.02.2025 are initially fully exempt (no 60% limitation, no retroactive obligations). Existing systems over 7 kWp must, however, be retrofitted by no later than the end of 2028.
3. grid operators
Germany has around 850 regional grid operators - the responsible grid operator depends solely on the postcode, not on the electricity supplier.
Most important regional grid operators
| Grid operator | Main region |
|---|---|
| Bayernwerk | Bavaria (except cities with their own Stadtwerk) |
| Westnetz | NRW, Rhineland, parts of western Germany |
| EnBW Netze | Baden-Württemberg |
| Stromnetz Hamburg | Hamburg |
| E.DIS | Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| Mitteldeutsche Netzgesellschaft (MITNETZ) | Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia |
| Stadtwerke (local) | All major cities (Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt etc.) |
Find your own grid operator: Postcode search at solar.red/netzbetreiber or ask the installer directly - they usually handle the registration as well.
Grid operator registration process
- Submit application - ideally 4–8 W weeks before the planned installation
- Statutory deadline: For systems up to 30 kWp, the grid operator must respond within 4 W weeks (§ 8 A para. 5 EEG); for systems over 30 kWp, 8 W weeks apply
- Automatic approval: If the grid operator does not respond within the deadline (for systems up to 30 kWp: 1 month), the system is deemed approved (deemed approval) - provided the application is complete
- Since January 2025: All grid operators are required to provide TAB and application forms online
- From 30 kWp: Grid compatibility assessment required - allow up to 16 W weeks
4. Taxes & VAT
- 0 % VAT on purchase and installation of PV systems up to 30 kWp on residential buildings (since 01.01.2023) - continues to apply unchanged in 2026, legally without a time limit (§ 12 A para. 3 UStG)
- In addition to the modules, inverters, battery storage systems as well as planning, delivery and installation are also eligible
- From >30 kWp: annual return to the Finanzamt required
- Small business scheme: applicable to feed-in tariff
5. Costs
Price per kWp (as at Q2 2026)
| System size | Typical use | Cost/kWp | Total costs (without storage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 kWp | Small detached house / flat | 1.200–1.600 € | 5.400–8.000 € |
| 5–10 kWp | Detached house 100–180 m² | 1.200–1.450 € | 7.500–13.500 € |
| 10–15 kWp | Detached house 150–250 m² + heat pump | 1.200–1.350 € | 13.500–20.000 € |
| 15–20 kWp | Large detached house / business | 1.000–1.350 € | 16.500–27.000 € |
Finanztip guideline value: max. 1.600 €/kWp (without storage) - systems are cheaper than 2025 (−4 % on average), but prices have been rising slightly again since April 2026
Cost breakdown (typical for 8–12 kWp)
| Component | Cost/kWp | Share | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar modules | 187–300 € | 20–25 % | From April 2026 +10–15 % more expensive (end of Chinese VAT export incentives as at 1.4.2026, plus higher silver prices) |
| Inverter | 300–500 € | 25–30 % | ~2.850 € for 8 kWp; hybrid models more expensive |
| Substructure + installation | 350–600 € | 35–40 % | Slate/Biberschwanz more expensive than sheet-metal roofing |
| Installation, electrics, planning | 300–500 € | 20–25 % | Incl. registration, scaffolding, commissioning |
With electricity storage
| System size | Costs with storage |
|---|---|
| 5 kWp + 10 kWh storage | from 14.000 € |
| 8–10 kWp + 10 kWh storage | from 18.000 € |
| 10–15 kWp + 15 kWh storage | from 25.000 € |
Storage: 700–900 €/kWh (market price Q2 2026); Finanztip recommends max. 600 €/kWh as a guideline
Operating costs
- Maintenance, inspection, insurance: 1,5–2 % of the investment sum/year (approx. 130–400 €)
- Service life of modules: 25–30 Jahre
- Inverter replacement: approx. after 10–15 Jahren (~1.500–3.000 €)
6. EEG feed-in tariff (Q2 2026)
Valid: 01.02.2026 – 31.07.2026 - from 01.08.2026 regular degression by approx. 1 % (every six months in accordance with § 49 EEG 2023; the Bundesnetzagentur officially announces the new rates shortly before the cut-off date in each case)
| System size | Partial feed-in (with self-consumption) | Full feed-in (without self-consumption) |
|---|---|---|
| up to 10 kWp | 7,78 ct/kWh | 12,34 ct/kWh |
| 10–40 kWp | 6,73 ct/kWh | 10,35 ct/kWh |
| 40–100 kWp | 5,50 ct/kWh | 10,35 ct/kWh |
Calculation for mixed systems (e.g. 15 kWp): First 10 kWp at 7,78 ct, remainder at 6,73 ct → average ~7,43 ct/kWh (partial feed-in)
Support period: 20 Jahre from commissioning | Source: Bundesnetzagentur
7. Wrofitable
| Without storage | With storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Payback | 9–12 Jahre | 12–16 Jahre |
| Years of yield thereafter | 15–20 Jahre | 13–18 Jahre |
Recommended system size for a detached house: 8–10 kWp
8. Funding (federal level)
| Programme | Type | What for |
|---|---|---|
| EEG feed-in tariff | Remuneration per kWh | Feed-in to the grid (up to 100 kWp) - see table above |
| KfW 270 (Erneuerbare Energien – Standard) | low-interest loan, no repayment grant | PV system and/or electricity storage, up to 100 % of the investment costs, interest rate currently approx. 3,5–11 % effective annual interest depending on credit rating |
| 0 % VAT | Tax exemption | Purchase/installation of PV system, inverter and battery storage up to 30 kWp (see section 4) |
Important regarding electricity storage systems: There is 2026 no standalone federal grant specifically for battery-only storage systems (not via BAFA either). Storage systems are only subsidised indirectly via 0 % VAT and via the KfW-270 loan. Regionally, however, some municipalities and federal states offer their own storage grants.
9. Solar obligation by federal state
At present there is still no nationwide, comprehensive solar obligation - the rules have so far been set at state level. That will change from 2027: With § 106 of the Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz (GModG), which has passed 2026 Bundestag and Bundesrat, there will be a nationwide, staggered solar obligation: from 1.1.2027 for new non-residential buildings with >250 m² usable floor area, from 1.1.2028 for larger existing buildings when the roof is fundamentally renovated, from 1.1.2030 for new residential buildings and adjacent carports. Until then, the following state-law rules apply. Threshold values are mostly area-based (% of suitable roof area), rarely in fixed kWp. Rule of thumb: 1 kWp ≈ 5–7 m² module area; 50 % of a 100 m² roof ≈ 7–10 kWp.
| Federal state | Obligation | In force since | Applies to | Minimum output | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | Yes | 01.05.2022 (new builds) / 01.01.2023 (renovations) | New builds + roof renovations (>50 % roof covering renewed) | ≥60 % of the suitable roof area | LBO BW |
| Bavaria | Partly - a genuine obligation only for commercial/non-residential buildings; for residential buildings only a non-binding should provision (no fine) | 01.07.2023 (commercial, genuine obligation) / 01.01.2025 (residential buildings, should provision) | New builds from 50 m² + complete roof renewal | ≥1/3 of the suitable roof area (should for residential buildings) | BayBO Art. 44a |
| Berlin | Yes | 01.01.2023 | New builds from 50 m² + roof renovations | ≥30 % of the gross roof area (new build) or net roof area (renovation); alternatively, staggered minimum output per residential units (2 kW to 2 WE, 3 kW to 5 WE, 6 kW to 10 WE) | SolG Bln |
| Bremen | Yes | 01.07.2024 (renovations) / 01.07.2025 (new builds) | New builds from 50 m² + major renovations | ≥50 % of the gross roof area (min. 1 kWp) | BremSolarG |
| Lower Saxony | Yes | 01.01.2025 | New builds from 50 m² + new roof covering | ≥50 % of the (renewed) roof area | § 32a NBauO |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Yes | 01.01.2025 (new builds) / 01.01.2026 (renovations) | New builds + complete roof covering renewal | ≥30 % of the roof area / flat rate: 3–8 kWp (buildings up to 10 WE) | BauO NRW |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Yes | 29.03.2025 (transitional period for ongoing building applications until 29.03.2026) | New builds (residential and non-residential buildings); for non-residential buildings also roof refurbishment >10 % of the roof area | ≥25 % of the suitable roof area | EWKG § 26 |
| Hesse | No (for private residential buildings) - an obligation exists only for buildings owned by the Land (since 16.11.2022) and new car parks >50 parking spaces | – | new builds/refurbishments owned by the Land, large car parks | – | HEG |
| Hamburg | No | – | – | – | – |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | No | – | – | – | – |
| Brandenburg | No | – | – | – | – |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | No | – | – | – | – |
| Saxony | No | – | – | – | – |
| Saxony-Anhalt | No | – | – | – | – |
| Thuringia | No | – | – | – | – |
| Saarland | No | – | – | – | – |
Exceptions (across federal states): Listed building protection, north-facing orientation, shading, roof <50 m², not technically/economically feasible. Fines for non-compliance: up to 50.000 € (NRW), retrofitting deadline usually 1–2 Jahre - applies only to federal states with a real (not merely 'should') obligation. Note: Hamburg and Rhineland-Palatinate, contrary to earlier reports, have no active solar obligation (as at 05/2026).