Survey criticizes grid access for PV and storage

15.09.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The German Solar Industry Association is calling on the Bundestag to make improvements to energy law in order to speed up grid connections for PV and storage systems.

The German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) is pushing for a reform of grid connection procedures. In a recent survey of 75 planners, project planners and installers, the industry criticized complicated processes, a lack of transparency and slow processing by the more than 800 grid operators in Germany. According to the association, this makes it difficult to install both ground-mounted photovoltaic systems and large-scale battery storage systems.

The problems are particularly evident when it comes to grid connection requests for large-scale storage systems. According to BSW-Solar, the companies surveyed stated that an average of 79% of planned storage projects without a photovoltaic system ("stand-alone") were either rejected, delayed or delayed until at least the end of 2028. In the case of combined projects, where storage systems are to be built together with solar parks, respondents reported difficulties in 63% of projects.

Poor communication

Companies predominantly rated communication with grid operators as poor. Almost three quarters of participants gave this a grade of 5 or 6. According to Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of BSW-Solar, "often poor communication from grid operators is increasingly becoming a brake on the energy transition". He called for binding requirements for standardization, digitalization and compliance with deadlines.

Project planners also see numerous obstacles for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. The biggest problems cited by those surveyed were a lack of transparency regarding free grid capacities, failure to meet deadlines when providing information and too few staff at the grid operators. On average, it takes around four months from the application to the allocation of a grid connection point, and in some cases it takes several years.

Legislators should improve the grid connection process

The association is therefore calling for the Bundestag to use the current amendment to the Energy Industry Act to make improvements. Proposals include: greater digitalization of the grid connection process, binding deadlines with penalties for non-compliance and reservation options for grid capacities based on project progress. In addition, a right to "overbuilding" grid connection points is to be introduced in order to be able to use existing grid capacities more efficiently through the use of storage systems.

According to BSW-Solar, 90 percent of companies plan to submit applications for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems with storage in future, where the installed generation capacity exceeds the agreed feed-in capacity. This would allow electricity from renewable sources to be integrated more flexibly into the grid.

Author: Susanne Harmsen