Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has relaunched its funding programme for ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) installations, floating solar systems, and agrivoltaic projects as part of its drive to significantly increase installed solar capacity by 2030.
The programme, named progres.nrw – Climate Protection Technology, aims to boost solar capacity that is not eligible for support under Germany's Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
This initiative will cover up to 20% of the investment costs for ground-mounted PV installations and up to 25% for floating solar and agrivoltaic systems. Additionally, it will provide up to 70% of expenses for planning and consulting services.
The programme is a critical component of NRW's strategy to achieve a target of at least 21 GW of installed PV capacity by 2030, doubling its 10 GW capacity recorded in 2023. According to the Ministry of the Economy, the region could potentially reach 27 GW with further regulatory improvements.
In 2024, NRW installed 92 MW of ground-mounted solar capacity in the first eight months, showing an increase compared to 72 MW installed during the same period in 2023.
The reopened funding scheme will play a key role in accelerating this growth as the region seeks to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets.
