Overview
- The government has forwarded an EEG reform draft that reduces guaranteed feed‑in rates for new PV installations, limits rooftop systems under 100 kW to feeding at most 50% of their output into the public grid, and makes fixed payments time‑limited.
- Under the draft, eligible new systems would receive reduced transitional payments before switching to direct marketing, with typical fixed payments running for 36 months and special cut‑offs for very small systems.
- Parliamentary committees and the Bundesrat are still debating the cabinet text after public hearings called for substantial changes, so the 2027 rules are not yet law and the 2023 EEG remains in force until a final bill is passed.
- Industry is split: the solar trade group BSW‑Solar warns the changes will slow deployment and cost jobs, while cleantech firms and some utilities see new business opportunities in trading surplus power and offering bundled services.
- Independently of the reform, a fast‑growing retail market for mini‑PV plus storage bundles is making small systems more affordable and, when sized with larger arrays and batteries, can cut household payback times to roughly three to five years by boosting self‑consumption.