German solar industry satisfied with revised »photovoltaic strategy«

»A lot of light and hardly any shadow« is how the German Solar Industry Association (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, BSW) sees the new version of the »Photovoltaic Strategy« presented by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) on Friday (May 5). The first draft was presented by the ministry on March 10, and more than 600 responses were received to the call for comments issued at that time. At a »PV Summit«, the new version was discussed by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (l. in picture with BSW CEO Carsten Körnig, r.) with representatives from the solar industry and politics.
As in the first version, the strategy comprises eleven fields of action ranging from greater expansion of ground-mounted systems, better conditions for tenant electricity and the acceleration of grid connections to measures to combat the shortage of skilled workers and for the development of a European solar industry.
According to the BSW, there are – provided that the strategy is now also quickly translated into concrete legislative changes – only a few unresolved issues. The association sees a need for action »in securing appropriate amortization periods, even in times of sharply rising interest rates on borrowed capital«, in other words, in money, i.e. the remuneration regulations for solar. The BSW also mentions the expansion of solar power storage systems, although the industry association has so far focused primarily on small, privately operated systems. The BMWK, on the other hand, regards the topic of storage, as also described in the strategy, as a »cross-sectional task«. The current legal situation in Germany has so far hindered the construction of large battery storage power plants.
The BMWK announces that it will start implementing the strategy »immediately after its publication«. Some of the measures are to be presented to the cabinet in a »Solar Package I« before the summer break.
© PHOTON