Germany's EEG 2027 draft could curb small rooftop solar growth

A draft amendment to Germany's Renewable Energy Act (EEG 2027) plans to replace guaranteed feed‑in tariffs for private photovoltaic systems up to 25 kW with either a "zero feed‑in" option or direct market sales starting January 2027. A study by the Berlin research institute Aquu for the Solar Energy Promotion Association (SFV) finds that under the zero‑feed‑in regime up to 69 % of a typical system’s output would be curtailed, pushing the levelized cost of self‑consumed solar electricity from about €0.10 to €0.31 per kilowatt‑hour. The added expenses of smart meters, control boxes and marketing fees mean that a 10‑kW system with a 10 kWh battery would need roughly 30 years to amortise, compared with under 15 years under the current feed‑in tariff. Direct marketing also proves uneconomic, with expected revenues of roughly €250 per year insufficient to cover the €210 in additional costs. Industry representatives warn that the measures could halt the expansion of small‑scale rooftop solar and jeopardise jobs in the sector. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs (BMWi) is promoting direct marketing and zero feed‑in as the new standard, despite the study’s criticism that the policy would “unnecessarily raise the cost of electricity from private solar installations and constitute an energy‑policy disaster.”