Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

ENERGY

Germany to take emergency measures to meet energy needs

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to take preemptive measures to counter the cutback in Russian gas supplies - so that things don't get tight when the winter heating season begins.

Published: 19 June 2022 12:14 CEST

Federal Minister for Economics, Robert Habeck, at a press conference on June 15th.

Federal Minister for Economics, Robert Habeck, at a press conference on June 15th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen

In view of reduced Russian gas supplies, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has announced additional measures to save gas.

In a five-page paper obtained by the German Press Agency on Sunday, the Economics Minister stated “Gas consumption must continue to fall, but more gas must be put into storage facilities to make up for it, otherwise it will be really tight in the winter.”

Proposed measures include reducing the use of gas for power generation and industry, using more coal-fired power plants, and ramping up the filling of gas storage facilities.

READ ALSO: Why Germany is discussing whether people should ‘freeze by law’

Russian state-owned company Gazprom significantly reduced the flow of gas through the Nord Stream Baltic Sea pipeline to Germany in recent days, claiming to have had delays in the repair of compressor turbines. EU officials, however, believe that it is a politically motivated move and that Moscow is punishing allies of Ukraine.

The tense situation with energy supply and high prices are a direct result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Green Party politician said: “It is obviously Putin’s strategy to unsettle us, to drive up prices and to divide us.”

He added that it was still possible to replace the supplies that had been lost and that gas storage facilities were still being filled, albeit at high prices. For now, he said, the security of supply is guaranteed.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

How installing solar panels at home is set to become easier in Germany

With rising prices affecting almost every area of life, many people are looking for ways to cut costs wherever they can.

When it comes to electricity, this could include looking at renewable options like installing solar panels on your balcony.

According to data from the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register, this is an increasingly popular choice. As of April 2nd this year, there were around 400,000 balcony solar units in operation in Germany, compared to just 230,000 in the summer of last year.

These little photovoltaic systems can be a great way to become more self-sufficient by producing your own energy for the home – but despite the benefits, you may have been put off by fears of mountains of paperwork and an uncertainty around the rules.

READ ALSO: How to install a solar panel on your balcony in Germany (even if you rent)

The government’s new Solar Energy Package, passed on Friday, aims to solve this issue by making it simpler for people in apartments or single-family homes to install solar panels and use their own energy.

It’s part of a major drive to roll out renewable energy in Germany, pushing up photovoltaic capacity from 7.5 gigawatts in 2022 to 22 gigawatts in 2026 and ultimately 215 gigawatts by 2030.

But what exactly is changing for homeowners and renters? Here’s what we know so far.

Streamlined registration process

Rather than having to register with your local network operator when installing solar panels on your balcony, in future simply registering with the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register will suffice. This streamlined process has been in place since April 1st, 2024.

Increased capacity allowance

Solar devices installed in the home are allowed to be more powerful in future. If your future device has an installed output of up to 2 kilowatts and an inverter output of up to 800 volt-amperes in total, you can register it quickly in a simple and unbureaucratic registration process.

Previously, devices were only allowed an inverter output of up to 600 volt-amperes.

No barriers on meters

In a transitional measure designed to encourage more people to switch to solar energy, balcony installations can be run through any type of meter on the market.

Solar panels on a German balcony

Solar panels on a balcony in Germany. The government is making it easier for people to produce – and use – their own solar energy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/iStock.comMaryanaSerdynska | Maryana Serdynska

This includes meters without a backstop, which run backwards when more energy is produced than is used. These, alongside normal one-way meters with a backdrop, will be permitted for a limited time until modern digital meters can be installed.

Under previous rules, both older types of meter were prohibited.

Simpler energy storage

In future, balcony solar systems will be able to store energy with a conventional shockproof plug. This will make installation way easier than it was before.

READ ALSO: German government to subsidise up to €30,000 of heating revamp costs

Easier operation of multi-unit buildings

To enable tenants in apartment blocks to use cheaper solar power from roofs, garages or battery storage systems directly, the new instrument of “communal building supply” is being introduced. This eliminates the complicated requirement to feed energy into the general electricity grid and permits residents to use the energy generated themselves.

In future, tenants will also be able to take out an affordable supplementary tariff themselves for electricity that is not covered by their solar installation. Some rules on this still need to be clarified though, so watch this space.

Tenant subsidies in commercial buildings

In future, tenant electricity will also be subsidised for commercial buildings and ancillary facilities such as garages if the electricity generated there is consumed immediately, i.e. without being fed through the grid.

This allows several energy systems to be combined and should avoid the overwhelming technical barriers that were previously a problem in residential neighbourhoods.

Url copied to clipboard!