Overview
- Reports published Wednesday show the 20‑year EEG tariff for early rooftop systems has expired for many owners and the Anschlussvergütung that replaces it is roughly 4¢ per kilowatt‑hour, making exported solar nearly worthless compared with retail prices.
- AC‑coupled retrofit batteries are the practical fix because they plug into the house side, monitor export with a smart meter or CT, and store midday surplus for evening use at a value equal to saved retail power of about 35–40¢/kWh.
- A six‑month field test of a ~1.76 kWp setup with ~4 kWh Zendure storage recorded 635 kWh generation, 89.2% self‑consumption, 349 kWh charged and 269 kWh returned (≈77% round‑trip retention), and an estimated four‑year payback under tested conditions.
- Manufacturers and retailers are offering modular, high‑input storages and bundled 2,000–6,000 Wp PV+storage sets — prices range from ~€1,429 (2,000 Wp + EcoFlow offer) to ~€2,679–€2,799 for 6,000 Wp + 5 kWh packs — but systems over 2,000 Wp trigger full PV installation rules rather than plug‑and‑play status.
- Buyers must weigh trade‑offs: storage raises self‑consumption but has real round‑trip and standby losses, seasonal yield swings that change whether modules or battery are the bottleneck, and storage cost and sizing determine amortisation windows typically reported as about 3–6 years.