Individuals can also drive the energy transition forward

02/24/2023

Source: Energy & Management Powernews

High energy costs and the chance to influence the energy turnaround yourself are driving a small renewable segment big time: more and more people are harvesting sun on their balconies.

The federal government's path to more solar energy in the system necessitates the annual addition of a capacity in the five-digit megawatt range. By 2030, this should provide solar power plants with 215,000 MW of capacity. This requires the construction of large ground-mounted systems as well as the use of residential and commercial rooftops. That however also the and the individual can drive the Energiewende, a view of the boom with balcony plants shows.

These small solar energy plants are large in the coming. As the Landesverband Erneuerbare Energien (LEE NRW) has calculated for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, almost one in five newly connected solar energy systems was a plug-in device in 2022. That is, one that is easy to install, such as systems for private balconies. They already accounted for 17 percent of the absolute device additions, which means a proud number of more than 13,300 balcony devices out of a total of 78,579 solar power plants connected to the grid.

Berlin also has a notable density of balcony modules. Here, the distribution network operator Stromnetz Berlin gives the number as 1,900 small systems. That is related to 15,200 plants altogether, which did at the end of January 2023 their service in the capital, nevertheless 12.5 per cent.

Small plants for "more participation and energy justice"

Now their individual contribution is comparatively small, since it concerns plants with an output of few hundred Watts nominal current. "But more and more people are recognizing this as their opportunity to participate in and benefit from the energy transition," says Ralf Köpke, spokesman for LEE NRW.

And that's why legislators across the country are removing more and more regulatory hurdles to their operation. At the same time, cities are launching attractive subsidy programs that also include balcony systems. This year, for example, the city of Essen is offering a financial incentive for the first time that in principle does not exclude any of the 580,000 people living in the Ruhr metropolis. The reactivated solar promotion program takes expressly "plug solar devices new to the promotion objects added", it is called in the resolution of the city council from 15 February. The subsidy per balcony system is a lump sum of 200 euros.

The city expects to be able to tap further potential and expand the target group. Or, as the climate and energy policy spokesman for the Green Party council faction, Sascha Berger, puts it, "With the promotion of plug-in solar modules, which are particularly suitable for tenants, we also support more participation and energy justice." All citizens received thus the possibility of producing their own climaticneutral river.

Essen triples solar promotion in the comparison to the previous year

Essen reaches for the program starting on 1. March also in principle much more deeply into the bag than before. If the solar promotion in the previous year still 800,000 euro (we reported), the sum available is now at least three times as high. Currently, around 2.4 million euros are available, of which just under 2 million euros are municipal and around 400,000 euros are state funds. With further third-party funds, the pot is to grow to a total of 3.5 million euros.

With all the joy about the participation of many private individuals in the energy turnaround, the industry associations believe that the expansion of solar energy should go even faster. The record construction in NRW, for example, which at 913 MW set the peak value from 2011 (we reported), is not enough. LEE NRW managing director Christian Mildenberger considers an annual increase of at least 2,000 MW of solar capacity in NRW alone to be "indispensable". In Germany, there had been an addition of 7,200 MW in 2022. Here, too, an increase to 11,000 MW would initially be necessary from 2023, before values of 22,000 MW per year were to be achieved in the years thereafter.

Author: Volker Stephan