Germany Boosts Special Solar Systems with New Tender Segment and Innovative Dual Land Use Solutions

The German government aims for an equal distribution between large-scale power plants and roof-mounted systems. In 2023, the large-scale ground-mounted segment saw a 45 percent increase. With the implementation of Solar Package I, this segment is expected to continue its growth. This package of measures seeks to streamline the process of solar deployment to achieve an annual growth of 22 gigawatt peak starting in 2026. Intersolar Europe, the world’s premier exhibition for the solar industry, will showcase the latest applications, products, and business models for large-scale PV power plants. The event will be held in Munich from June 19–21, as part of The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest alliance of energy industry exhibitions. Approximately 3,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors from around the world are anticipated to attend, with the event spanning 19 exhibition halls and an outdoor area.

Hybrid power plants that combine photovoltaic (PV) and wind power, or incorporate energy storage, offer numerous benefits. Sun and wind have complementary generation profiles, allowing for an optimal combination within a single system, efficiently utilizing energy infrastructure such as interconnection points and the required space. Integrating energy storage provides additional advantages: it can mitigate the volatility of renewable energy sources, store electricity to be fed into the grid when needed, or allow it to be traded for profit. Energy arbitrage facilitates the strategic provision and marketing of solar and wind energy on the energy exchange. Electricity is stored when prices are low or renewable production is high, and it is fed into the grid when selling becomes profitable.

With Solar Package I, the “special solar systems” specified in the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) now have their own tender segment. These applications are gaining popularity, and dual land use concepts are becoming central to solar deployment plans. The maximum tender value has been increased to 9.5 cents/kWh. Products in this segment are rapidly advancing, including carport substructures, elevated vertical and horizontal solar technologies with and without trackers for agricultural PV, and mounting solutions for floating PV systems.