PV accounts for 12.3% of net generation in Germany in May

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A record breaking 5.57 TWh of solar power was produced by PV systems installed in Germany in May. Based on data from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) reported on monday, that this is equivalent to a share of 12.3% in net electricity generation. Over the same period nuclear power plants in Germany produced around 5.65 TWh, which is about 12.5% of germany´s power generation.

According to BSW-Solar this came along with decreasing prices and at the same time increasing demand for PV and storage systems. Alone between January and April around 480 MW of PV systems were newly installed, which is 64% higher than in the prior-years period.

“Solar power from home or commercial rooftops is already available for half the price of regional supply tariffs”, said Carsten Körnig, CEO of BSW-Solar. “At utility scale, solar power in Germany can already be generated for about €0.06/kWh. Therefore the price-performance ratio of solar power is on a par with new conventional power plants.”

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The fall in prices for PV systems have started in the second half of 2016, but prices for battery storage have been steadily declining for years. According to BSW-Solar's price index, the average cost for PV home storage systems have decreased by 40% over the past four years, while commercial storage systems have shown a sharp drop in prices of up to 50% in the same period.

In the background of the yet untapped large potential for solar power in the electricity, heat and mobility sectors in Germany, Körnig is convinced that now is the ideal time to expand the use of PV technology in the country. Not only to save money but also to reach COP21 climate protection targets.

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