Germany: Increase in Solar Energy Installations

The German Solar Industry Association reported today, Tuesday, that "the installation of solar panels in the country rose by 35 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2024, supported by increased industrial and commercial demand and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems." The association stated that according to a survey conducted by YouGov in May, new solar capacity grew by more than five gigawatts in the first third of this year, with 56 percent of businesses and over 60 percent of property owners in Europe's largest economy expressing interest in investing in solar energy systems. Since the Russian war against Ukraine and the sudden decline in Russian fossil fuel exports to Germany, Berlin has introduced several pieces of legislation to accelerate the expansion of solar energy, as part of its plan to cover 80 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.