Germany has allocated 512MW of capacity to solar-plus-storage projects in its recent Innovation Auction, managed by the Bundesnetzagentur, the German Federal Network Agency. The auction, which had a total available capacity of 583MW, attracted bids totaling 564MW from 48 projects, with 512MW ultimately accepted. Five bids were rejected during the process.
Prices for successful bids ranged from €0.0678/kWh to €0.0917/kWh, with an average volume-weighted price of €0.0833/kWh, significantly below the maximum tendered price, as reported by the Bundesnetzagentur.
The auction specifically targeted solar-plus-storage projects on arable grasslands, offering different criteria across various states. Bavaria secured the largest share, with 245MW distributed across 24 projects. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein followed, securing capacities of 79MW and 73MW respectively.
In October 2023, a previous iteration of the innovation auction allocated 408MW of solar-plus-storage capacity, highlighting the ongoing demand and growth in Germany's renewable energy sector.
Simultaneously, Germany announced record results in its latest onshore wind auction, awarding over 2.3GW of capacity. These auctions are part of Germany's broader strategy to expand its renewable energy capacity, with significant recent milestones including a 2.2GW ground-mounted PV auction in April 2024 and a 1.6GW proposition in December 2023, both oversubscribed by multiples.
The Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft (BSW Solar) reported record installations in the first four months of 2024, adding over 5GW of new capacity. The association forecasts a consistent annual installation rate of 22GW from 2026 onwards, positioning Germany to realistically achieve its target of 215GW cumulative solar capacity by 2030.
