Enervis study: New renewable energy plants require lower EEG subsidies

A study conducted by enervis energy advisors GmbH for the association LEE NRW indicates that new wind and solar energy installations require significantly lower EEG subsidies compared to older existing systems. The study estimates the annual EEG subsidy requirement for the investigated new portfolio—comprising approximately 37.8 GW of capacity—to be around 400 million euros, averaging 0.72 cents per kilowatt-hour.

In contrast, the existing portfolio incurs much higher costs, estimated at approximately 14.8 billion euros annually, or 6.58 cents per kilowatt-hour. This disparity is largely attributed to historical remuneration levels and lower subsidy rates in recent auctions.

Specific costs for new installations include 0.61 cents per kWh for onshore wind, 0.43 cents per kWh for ground-mounted photovoltaics, and 2.24 cents per kWh for rooftop solar. Industry representatives, including Christian Vossler of LEE NRW and Ursula Heinen-Esser of the BEE, argue that using total historical EEG payments to describe the costs of current expansion is misleading and fails to reflect the actual financial support needed for modern renewable growth.