According to the German solar power industry group (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, BSW), 1,340 MWp of new solar capacities were commissioned in Germany in the first half of 2018, which is 50% more than in the first half of 2017 (901 MWp). The domestic solar power output also went up by 8% in the same period as 23.6 TWh were injected into the grid.
The recent data meet BSW’s expectations for the first time in the last years and are more in line with the annual PV expansion target set by the Federal Government. The constant decrease in the solar PV installation costs is the main factors for the boost in PV systems demand. The government is trying to slow down the momentum: a slight regulation of the subsidies will be implemented and the funding rates will be adjusted to avoid overcapacity. In August 2018, the German Federal Network Agency already announced additional cuts for solar PV projects commissioned between 1 August 2018 and 31 October 2018 by 1% per month.