Solar projects awarded all premiums in Germany’s innovative renewables auctions

Germany has awarded market premiums for 403 MW of innovative solar facilities, including 12 awards covering 21 MW of agrivoltaics projects on farmland and one award covering 1 MW on a parking lot.

The auction was not technology-specific and eligible to apply for premiums were projects that combine renewable energy installations with different generating technologies. However, all bids were exclusively for combinations of solar installations and energy storage facilities, according to a press release from Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s federal network regulator.

Agrivoltaics projects were included in the innovative auction for the first time

For the first time, bids could be submitted for so-called special solar installations – those installed on bodies of water, farmland, or parking lots so as to enable dual use of those areas, the agency said.

Germany’s new government earlier announced ambitious plans to speed up the energy transition and increase the share of renewables in electricity production to 80% by 2030, up from about 40% currently. The plan envisages the country’s solar capacity to reach a total of 215 GW by 2030, compared wtih 59 GW at the end of 2021.

RWE won premiums for solar and storage project at an open-pit lignite mine

Among the successful bidders in Germany’s innovative auction was energy company RWE, with a 12.2 MW solar power and storage project near its Hambach open-pit lignite mine.

Installations on buildings and noise barriers were awarded premiums for 204 MW of capacity

In a separate auction for solar installations on buildings and noise barriers, the agency awarded premiums for a total of 204 MW of capacity, according to the press release.