German Solar Industry Urges Clear 2030 Storage Targets
The German solar industry is pushing for clearer targets and regulations to boost energy storage deployment. As of now, no official goal has been set for the operational readiness of 100 GWh of cumulative storage power plants by 2030. However, the extension of the network tariff exemption for energy storage facilities until 2029 has provided some relief.
BSW-Solar, the German solar trade association, has called for a target of 100GWh of cumulative operational battery energy storage systems (BESS) by 2030. They also advocate for the publication of non-binding grid connection information and the digitalisation of grid connection applications to streamline the approval process.
The demand for grid acceleration and simplification is high, with 64% of sector companies supporting this. The Federal Network Agency has responded by awarding over half a gigawatt of new solar-plus-storage capacity in an innovation tender held in 2024. The residential sector has been driving storage additions, accounting for 18.4GWh of the 22.7GWh currently in operation as of September 2025.
Between 2019 and 2023, the percentage of residential rooftop PV systems paired with BESS jumped from 46% to 77%. This trend is expected to continue, with 45% of respondents welcoming an extension of the grid fee exemption to energy storage systems.
As of the first half of 2025, there are 22.5GWh of storage currently in operation in Germany. BSW-Solar suggests that introducing a legal target would help increase storage deployments and overcome challenges in the German energy transition. The industry awaits official targets and supportive regulations to further boost the energy storage sector.
