Approximately 17.5 GWp of new PV capacity were installed in both 2024 and 2025, respectively
Germany surpassed 128 gigawatts-peak (GWp) of cumulative installed solar photovoltaic capacity in August, meeting its official 2026 expansion target ahead of schedule. According to data evaluated by the German Solar Association (BSW Solar), the nationwide total now exceeds 6 million operational solar energy installations.
Solar generation accounted for approximately 20% of the nation's net power output in 2025, remaining a central pillar of the domestic energy transition. To satisfy federal statutory mandates outlined in the Renewable Energy Act (EEG), the country must reach 172 GWp by 2028, 215 GWp by 2030, and 400 GWp by 2040.
Annual additions reached roughly 17.5 GWp in both 2024 and 2025. Achieving the 2030 benchmark will require the country to scale up its deployment rate to an average of roughly 20 GWp per year, adding about 87 GW of capacity over the remainder of the decade.
BSW Solar Managing Director Carsten Körnig cautioned that future growth requires ongoing policy support, emphasizing that annual installation rates must accelerate rather than slow down. The trade group is urging legislators to revise impending EEG reforms and energy grid legislation, warning that proposals to alter small-scale system subsidies, heighten direct marketing obligations, and roll back compensation for grid-managed curtailment could impede private investment and jeopardize long-term target fulfillment.
Originally reported by Informed Comment on Aug 24, 2026.
