Overview
- The federal cabinet approved an EEG draft on 29 July 2026 that would remove fixed feed‑in tariffs for new solar systems and start the new rules on 1 January 2027 if parliament and the Bundesrat approve them.
- New installations would receive a 36‑month transitional payment before owners must sell surplus power via direct marketing at market prices, with a small bonus to cover marketing costs.
- The draft sets a 50 percent cap on active power injected at the house connection point for systems up to 100 kW, a rule that would limit exports from rooftop PV as well as from home batteries and bidirectional electric vehicles.
- Industry groups and grid operators warn the cap would also restrict intelligent, grid‑supporting technologies by treating smart storage and EV export the same as unmanaged midday feed‑in, which critics say reduces system flexibility.
- Households face a sharper premium on self‑consumption because retail power costs about 37.0 ct/kWh in 2026 while current partial export payments are roughly 7.70 ct/kWh, making batteries, smart controls and usage shifts the main route to savings; small plug‑in 'balkonkraftwerk' kits remain a low‑cost entry but are limited by inverter rules and lack of remuneration for un‑stored surplus.