With an installed capacity of more than 107 gigawatts, we are halfway there - but the solar boom is losing momentum.

The planned expansion of solar energy in Germany by 2030 is halfway achieved. According to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), approximately 107.5 gigawatts of capacity have now been installed. This figure is expected to reach 215 gigawatts by 2030. The nearly 5.3 million systems on roofs, balconies, open spaces above parking lots, and in some cases even on bodies of water cover around 15 percent of Germany's electricity demand.

"Over the last 25 years, photovoltaics has evolved from an expensive satellite technology to the most affordable form of electricity generation on earth," says CEO Carsten Körnig. But despite the recent success, he is concerned: the expansion of solar power generation has recently slowed. Therefore, his association now sees the 2030 target as being at risk and warns against slowing down.

"Electricity demand is growing, and solarization of roofs, facades, and open spaces must not slow down. We're halfway there, but the next stage isn't a foregone conclusion," says Körnig. In his view, there's no way around a greater expansion of photovoltaics and storage. "The current heat wave and increasing climate change impacts are painfully clear evidence of this."

The association's particular focus is on expanding storage capacity "to unlock the full potential of photovoltaics in a system-beneficial way." Currently, there are around two million battery storage systems in operation in Germany with a total capacity of around 20 gigawatt hours. However, a storage capacity of around 100 to 150 gigawatt hours is needed by 2030. To make progress in this area, the preferential building regulations for battery storage systems provided for in the coalition agreement must be implemented promptly.

According to the Federal Network Agency's market data register, the majority of systems and their installed capacity fall into the area of ​​structural installations on or attached to roofs, buildings, and facades. 4.2 million systems with approximately 71 gigawatts are registered as being in operation. This is followed by ground-mounted systems in terms of capacity. There are only just under 20,000 of these, but they account for almost 33 gigawatts. Balcony power plants are much more common, with just over a million, but because they are much smaller, they only have a combined capacity of just under one gigawatt.